Sacrament
by Liym Enello
Summary: AU. Abandoned fic. But feel free to read and review.
1. Episode 1: Ritual

**Sacrament**

**Episode 1: Ritual**

_It was the ritual of the Scottish village of Lorn to sacrifice 3 beautiful women for the death of each man. That was the way or Lorn –it had been for hundreds of years and would remain for a hundred more._

The women of Lorn had a habit of giving birth to baby girls. 4 out of 5 children to be exact. That was the way of the Lorn women for hundreds of years, and would remain for hundreds more. This led to the overpopulation ratio of women to men in Lorn, which angered the selfish men greatly. They created the ritual for the sacrifice of women every October 31st so that they would not e overcome by the opposite sex.

Eventually, when the fear of witchcraft entered the century, the men decided that only the beautiful women of Lorn should be sacrificed. Beautiful women back in the dark ages of Lorn were thought to be Witches –slaves to black magic. Three beautiful women of Lorn, for every man that had died that year, were all sacrificed on October 31st.

It was the most dreaded day in all of Lorn.

Rukia was a little girl. Her dark midnight hair was short, only reaching her shoulders with a stubborn band of hair in between her violet eyes. She was small and lithe when she should be pudgy at the ripe age of six. She was also a fighter, not like the other timid, doe-eyed girls from the Scottish village of Lorn.

Early in the morning, Rukia's mother, Hisana, would take her into the woods to practice with her bow and arrows. Hisana told Rukia to never tell her father Byajuya about their practice with weapons. Men of Lorn did not like their women to be capable in the defending arts, only in the bedroom.

But Hisana was a beautiful and strong willed woman who was determined to make sure her daughter could protect herself against any enemy.

Naturally, as Rukia grew older, she became one with the sword, bow, and dagger. She was the fiercest fighter in all of Lorn. Her hair grew longer as she entered her eighth year of existence, her eyes sharper and fuller of knowledge. It was on that eighth birthday that Hisana slowly and carefully rose from her bed so she wouldn't awake Byakuya's naked and sleeping form.

"My Darling," Hisana put her hands on Rukia's shoulders. "I have taught everything I have to teach you."

"Does that mean we're not going to the woods anymore, Mum?" Rukia's wild violet eyes are questioning, holding a bit of sadness. She likes shooting her arrows in the morning. Clashing her sword with her mother. She loves getting stronger. And she loves that she has at least one thing hidden from her father. Her own little secret.

"No, no, sweetie." Hisana brushes the stubborn band of hair away from Rukia's face only to let it fall once again. "I want you to go, every morning, as early as you can! You must now teach yourself to be stronger." She kisses her young daughter's forehead. "Alright?"

"Okay." Rukia sprints out of the front door of the Kuchiki family's lavish estate. With her cloak tight around her shoulders and the veil of darkness from the early morning protecting her, Rukia headed to her favorite spot in the woods.

That was the last time Hisana saw her daughter. She hated goodbyes, and couldn't bear to see her daughter cry. This was the way she _had_ to do this. No pain, no tears. A clean break. She watched her daughter's retreating form until she was just a small pinprick in the distance.

It was late last night that Byakuya had told his wife that she was to be sacrificed in the morning of October 31st. Hisana wasn't surprised in the least. She was on the list of most beautiful women I the village, and had been victim to the suspicion of performing black magic.

These suspicions weren't true at all. In fact, Hisana was only half Witch. She could only perform level 3 Kido, and special technique called Flashstep.

Hisana didn't use this special technique to escape only because she knew her daughter would be chosen to take her place as sacrifice. Hisana sighed, and returned to her bed with Byakuya for a few more hours until the village rose.

Rukia was a little girl when she first fell in love at the ripe age of eight. Her hair had grown longer, almost to the small of her back in big waves. The dark band of hair in between her eyes was still stubborn; her violet eyes were now deep and sharp with the knowledge of many things. And most importantly, she was a fighter. The best in all of Lorn. She took her sword, and screamed a battle cry in her high-pitched childlike voice as she attacked an imagined opponent. She ducked, rolled, and stabbed at the invisible enemy's feet which sent his imaginary ass flying. She hacked his sorry butt into the ground and spit before she took a swig of water from her canteen and rubbed her dirty hands on the trousers that she stole from her father. She had tied a belt around her waist tight to keep the white pants up and stuffed the bottoms into her boots so she wouldn't trip. Rukia smiled to herself and took another gulp of water from the canteen.

Then here was a clapping noise.

Rukia whirled around to face the danger, and saw a boy with a mop of strange orange colored hair. He was older than her, no more than ten though, and was leaning against a big oak tree, midnight black sword stuck in the mud beside him as he continued to clap his hands.

"Well done." He said in a mature voice beyond his years.

Rukia stared at the strange amber-eyed boy with horror. How could she be so foolish! She had gotten cocky and didn't even check the area to see if it was clear before she practiced! Stupid, stupid, stupid!

She tightened her grip on her bleached white sword and glared at the boy with her piercing violet eyes. "You're not going to tell Aizen, are you?"

Aizen was second in command to the leader of Lorn, Yamamoto. He was the one that enforced law and order, and surveyed the sacrifice rituals. Some say he hand-picked the victims of sacrifice himself.

"I don't know… he might just give me a shiny gold coin for _this_," the boy gestured at Rukia's sweating and dirty form. "…information."

"Bastard!" Rukia glared at the boy who literally held her life in his hands. "I'll fight you!"

The boy scoffed. "Oh please. I can take you, little girl," He picked up his sword from its place wedged in the dirt. "Easily."

Rukia roared, and ran towards the boy with her sword pointed at his selfish heart.

"Ohhh, feisty eh?" The boy dodged Rukia's attack without much effort and grabbed her shirt collar. So maybe Rukia wasn't _the_ best fighter in all of Lorn. "This is what you get for wearing men's clothes, little girl." He tossed Rukia aside and she lost her breath as she crashed into the mud. She spat some dirt out sluggishly but rose to her feet again.

"Not bad. At least you have some fight in ya. I respect that." The amber-eyed boy smiled almost warmly.

Rukia's brow furrowed. "You respect me?"

His face fell into a nasty scowl. He had just said the phrase that is never uttered in the village of Lorn. "No! I don't!"

"You just said it!" Rukia wiped all the mud off of her pale white sword. "I heaaaaarrrd you." Rukia started to giggle.

"Shut up, GIRL!" The boy spit. "Or I'll tell Byakuya. And Aizen."

Now it's Rukia's turn for her face to fall.

"Ya. I know 'ol Byakuya's your father. I'm not blind. You look just like Hisana. And your pants have the Kuchiki family crest on the side."

Rukia's gaze slipped down to the side of her leg where the red crest sat blazing against the stark white pants. Ugh, why didn't the mud cover up her family crest?

"How do you know what my family crest looks like?" She used some extra mud gathered on her thigh to cover up the revealing crest.

"My father works for your father. I'm Ichigo Kurosaki."

Ah, yes. Rukia had heard of the Kurosaki family. Ichigo's mother had been sacrificed three years ago among many others. She remembered. She was there to watch her burn. Masaki had been a beautiful woman with shiny chestnut hair and big welcoming eyes. From what Hisana had told her, Rukia knew Masaki had not died a Witch. Mistake on Lorn's part.

"I'm sorry. For your mum, I mean." Rukia stared into Ichigo's warm tawny eyes. "Please don't tell Aizen about…" Rukia raised her sword slightly. "This. Or Byakuya. He would kill me."

Ichigo's scowl hardened in contemplation. A long, aggravating moment passed before Ichigo opened his mouth to speak. Rukia held her breath.

"Fine." Ichigo sighed. "Only because I pity you today."

"Why do you pity me?" Rukia asked, hands on her hips in question. What could he possibly pity Rukia Kuchiki for? She had money, titles, a large estate and an esteemed family name. Other than being a woman, what the strange Ichigo Kurosaki pity her for?

"You don't know?" Ichigo's eyes widen in horror. HE never though he would be the one to bear this news to such a pretty young girl. "Your mother was on the list to be sacrificed today. It's October 31st. She was chosen anonymously –both for her good looks and her suspicion of black magic."

"No!" Rukia sprints to the boy and grabs his shirt collar. "Liar!"

"I'm not a liar!" Ichigo struggles to rip the girl's small hands off his shirt. "I snuck into the meeting of elders, and hid behind a barrel of ale. I went to make sure my pretty sisters weren't chosen to be sacrificed! I heard your mother's name come up in their conversation many times before a barking dog gave me away and I ran."

Rukia, slowly, bit by bit, relaxed her fingers and released Ichigo's shirt. Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief before Rukia pulled her arm back and punched Ichigo in the face –hard.

"Ahh!" Ichigo tumbled to his knees from the blow, holding his broken nose that was now gushing with blood. "You bi-"

Rukia took off running at a dead sprint, picking up her sword, bow, and arrows as she went. Her mother was going to be sacrificed. She had to stop Aizen. Kill him, if she had the chance.

Ichigo called after her, blood streaming into his mouth as he screamed. "No! You'll be killed...!"

Rukia ignored him and continued running until she was out of his sight.

"Shit." Ichigo mumbled, and ran a hand through his tousled orange hair. His lips curled into a half smile.

He damned loved her courage though.

End of Chapter One.

_**A/N: This is my first bleach fic, and only the second one I've ever written. I hope you like it. (: The whole story is NOTTT going to take place in Ichigo and Rukia's younger years, not at all. Maybe only the next two chapters, then they will develop into their teens/early 20's and the story will get better, I promise. I have a lot planned for this fic and I hope to update every 2 weeks or less. Thank you for reading and please comment! It lets me know you care. 3**_


	2. Episode 2: Gore List

**Sacrament**

**Episode Two: Gore List**

"_Never let the hand you hold, hold you down." ~Author Unknown_

Aizen looked at the list. It had 21 names on it written in dark, blood red letters. It was a beautiful list made with Scottish calligraphy.

"Are you happy with the list, Lord Yamamoto?" Aizen asked, a snake-like grin graced his lips. He handed the list to Lorn's Lord and Chief Elder. The Lord glanced at it briefly, scanning the names. He stroked his long white beard for a moment in thought.

"Only seven men died this year, Aizen?"

"Quite true, My Lord. We had a very peaceful year. Five of the deaths were from old age. One death was caused by a fight in Urahara's Tavern and the other died from Pneumonia." Aizen said.

"Very good, Aizen. I am pleased with the list." Yamamoto sighed. "Except one detail." He stroked his ribboned beard once more and leaned forward on his throne to view the list more clearly.

"My Lord?" Aizen knit his brows together in mock confusion but the snake-like grin never left his face. He knew what Yamamoto was going to ask him before the idea even popped in the old man's head. Aizen just had that kind of cunning intuition.

"Hisana Kuchiki… I know her suspicion for practicing black magic is great, and she is indeed beautiful… but she is from a titled family! Her husband is a Duke, for Christ's sake. Must is be her?" The old man leaned back in his chair again, tired from his outburst.

"A very good question, My Lord," Aizen walked behind Yamamoto and placed a hand on the back of the old man's throne. "But she is not a Duchess by blood, only marriage. And I have four sources confirming her practices of black magic. She must be the first to die. She is the obvious choice, My Lord."

Yamamoto inhaled. "You're right. But this might displease the Duke Kuchiki."

"Oh, My Lord, we both know Kuchiki's have no heart." Aizen whispered in his master's ear. "He won't even bat an eyelash."

Rukia's heart was pounding so hard she thought it might fall out of her chest and be crushed under her feet. Her arms pumped harder and harder. Her breathing became deep and raged. Rukia thought she heard another set of footsteps behind her but passed it off as her own paranoid imagination. She stopped to catch her breath under a tall willow tree. The leaves of the willow offered a very comfortable shade against the rising sun. Even though the summer was fading into fall in Lorn, the sun's rays were hot enough to catch Rukia's attention. She sat down below the wonderful shade of the willow and let the chilly dirt cool down her legs and bottom.

It was in that moment that she permitted herself cry. Her indigo eyes welled up with tears before they finally spilled over her pale cheeks. No one is allowed to see Rukia Kuchiki cry, so it was a good thing nobody could see her.

At least… she thought no one could.

Ichigo watched the sobbing girl from behind a large rock downhill from the big willow tree. Her big violet eyes grew watery and spilled over her tear ducts like an elegant cascade. Seeing her in such a state made something in his heart pinch. He wanted to reach out to her, call her name, tell her everything would be okay, even if it wouldn't. Ichigo wanted to be her friend.

But there he sat. Cowardly. Crouched in the dirt and moss like a mushroom waiting to be trampled on.

"Come on, Ichigo…" He told himself. "Just stand up and offer to take her home." He was about to do it. He was so close. But hearing her wail once more made him reconsider. Wouldn't he be the last person Rukia wanted to see? A pig-headed male who could have been responsible for Hisana's death if he was old enough to be on the Elder's Council.

Although Ichigo thought the October 31st Sacrifice was malicious and cruel, he could not speak out against his own society. No, he was brought up to obey law. And the law was to sacrifice women every year.

But God, her eyes were shining. He just couldn't stand it anymore. Ichigo puffed out his chest, took a deep breath and stood from his hiding place; completely exposing himself to the girl he thought was so lovely.

Rukia's cries ceased immediately.

"Why the hell are you following me, _boy_?" Rukia wiping her nose quickly, her gaze tore away from him in shame.

"I… uh," Ichigo stammered and ran a hand through his orange locks. "I wanted to walk you home. You know, to make sure you got there safely… or whatever." A ruddy blush heated the boy's cheeks.

"Thank you, but no thank you." Rukia got up from the ground deliberately, brushing dirt off her bum. "I don't need a _man's_ help." She turned and walked away from the dumbstruck redhead.

"Oh, common." Ichigo caught up to the midnight haired beauty in a few long strides. "I know what it feels like. To lose a mom, I mean." Ichigo's eyebrows shot up at the sudden proclamation. Why is he suddenly puking his heart out over this girl? All his inner thoughts, however, cut off when he saw Rukia flinch in pain.

"You talk as if she's already dead." Rukia whispers, hugging her arms around herself.

Ichigo mentally slapped himself for being so idiotic. "I'm sorry." The boy reached to grab the girl's hand and took hold of it. She jumped at the touch but allowed the dough of her palm to mold into his. She needed some physical comfort right now.

The woods started to clear, the ring of trees becoming less dense. The view of Lorn broke over the hilltop. A few miles away, past the smoking wooden cottages and, in Rukia's case, a massive stone estate, there was the castle where Yamamoto, Aizen, and The Court lived. It was a colossal building made of marble, surrounded by splendid gardens and a vast courtyard in the front. In the middle of that courtyard there was a huge bonfire which was being lit with torches and oil.

At the sight of the rising smoke from the fire, Rukia's eyes began to water again. She didn't want to watch her mother's pale body burn black and fade from her forever. She just couldn't bear it.

"I don't want to go back to the village, Ichigo. Not right now."

"Don't you want to see your mom, before…" Ichigo stopped, not wanting to utter another word.

"No." Rukia said curtly. "I can't… it would be too painful for both of us." Rukia silently wiped a tear away and sniffed. Ichigo understood. He wished it had been that way with his mother. But no, Aizen made him stand in the courtyard. Ichigo was close enough to the fire that he could smell his mother's perfume burn up and become a rancid stench. He would never forget that smell.

"I understand." Ichigo squeezed her hand. "I'll stay here."

"Won't your father be looking for you?" Rukia asked.

"Won't _yours_?" Ichigo retorted, raising his eyebrows and his voice.

"Of course he will." Rukia said. "I'll take the punishment for my absence later."

Hisana, as directed, wore a plain white dress to her death. She got in a wooden cart of twenty other female sacrifices dressed in white. Some were wailing and weeping, some were clinging to their children's hands between the wooden bars of the cart, and some were stark silent, staring off into space as if their minds and just shut off. Hisana was one of those women, silently walking to the far corner of the cart before it was locked up by a guard. The guard whistled and a mule, which was hooked up to the cart, started walking, pulling the twenty beautiful ladies along with him.

The youngest one, Momo, who was only nineteen, stared at Hisana with her big brown eyes and pulled at her dress sleeve.

"Hisana?" Momo called. The Duchess Kuchiki returned Momo's gaze, preferring not to speak but questioning the young woman with her eyes.

"Are you afraid to die?"

Hisana thought about this deeply. No, she wasn't. If death meant that Rukia would survive for at least one more year, then it was worth it. Hisana shook her head, and Momo looked at the woman with disbelief.

"Why are you not afraid?"

Hisana didn't answer the young girl. She felt that if she opened her mouth to speak her Kuchiki mask would fall and her emotions would be exposed. She would not let the Council of Elders see her fall.

The cart ride was long, but many were thankful for that. Many women in that cart were quite innocent in the Witching category, and were pleading that the Council would realize their mistake and come to fetch them. Their hopes were for nothing, and the cart continued on its way, as planned.

As they rode through the city, many men on the streets would call them nasty names like "whore", "wench" and "witch". Some of the men were even ghastly enough to spit in their direction. The white ladies of the cart said nothing to the men, knowing their place in society as the cart finally reached its destination.

The bonfire.

More ladies started to wail, some were whispering prayers or magical mantras to themselves, and some were still silent, like Hisana Kuchiki. The locked cart was opened a board was placed so that the ladies could step down from the cart, one by one. They filed out into the courtyard, and the guard organized them by age, oldest to youngest. Hisana would be the first to die, Momo would be the last.

_Good._ Hisana thought to herself. _I won't have to watch any of the poor girl's die._

"Ladies!" Aizen yelled from his perch on the castle balcony. He held up the list, then folded it in half, then into fourths. "You are all exquisite suspects of black magic. You are here and now condemned to death on this blessed day of sacrament. May God have mercy on your souls." Aizen let the list fall, starting the sacrifice ritual. As the list of their names burned in the now roaring fire, the ladies were led one by one to their death.

Two guards grabbed hold of Hisana's arms, meaning to lead her, before she gave them a glare that could melt hell.

"I will walk on my own."

The two guards looked at each other but shrugged and walked away, still keeping an eye on Hisana's seductive silhouette in the bathing light of the fire.

Hisana took a big breath, whispered a prayer, and spoke. Her voice was clear, and lovely.

"I love you, Rukia."

She threw herself into the fire.

**End of Chapter Two.**

A/N: I NEVER THOUGH THIS FIC WOULD GET SO MANY FAVES ALREADY! I LOVE YOU ALL TO DEATH! That's why I'm updating so early…as a gift. (: Please comment! It truly means the world to me and inspires me to write more!


	3. Episode 3: Deluge

**Sacrament**

**Episode 3: Deluge**

"_But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon…" Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet: Act 2, Scene 2_

….

The year is 1474. Two children of Lorn have grown older. It has been eleven years since Hisana's sacrifice. Yamamoto still rules as Lord but Aizen is the serpent behind the royal curtain.

….

Ichigo had developed into a man. His twenty-first birthday had taken place a few short months ago, along with a huge celebration hosted by his father. The party had lasted late into the night and into the early morning and had consisted of erotic dancing, music, scantily clad women, and a lot of booze. Ichigo hadn't even wanted to go to his party –knowing his friend Rukia wouldn't be there. She was too busy pent up in her estate reading books and secretly practicing with her weaponries. Ichigo's hair was just a bit longer, his body much taller, and his taut muscles had been worked to perfection thanks to his early morning exercises with Rukia Kuchiki.

It was October 31st. Today is Rukia Kuchiki's nineteenth birthday. Rukia's hair had grown even longer -she refused to cut it—and had grown down to her waistline in long dark waves. The stubborn band of hair was still there, between her eyes. Her body was lithe, lacking "standard sexy" curves except for the sensuous arc of her ass and long legs that the Lorn boy drooled over. Her eyes were still a piercing violet, and her mouth had grown even sharper than her sword and arrows.

It was on one of these mornings -precisely Rukia's nineteenth birthday- that she and Ichigo met at their usual spot under the big willow tree on the top of the hill overlooking the village of Lorn. It was early dawn.

"How do you get rid of it?" Rukia asked suddenly, sitting down and leaning back on her hands. "The hole in your heart from the… loss… I mean." Rukia remembered the stench of her mother's rotting body. Yes, she could still smell it, even though she had been a mile away.

Ichigo shrugged. "With you and your Kuchiki mask I think you'll do just fine."

Rukia glared at him. Ichigo glanced over at her from his spot on the soft green grass and sighed. "You can't just _get rid of it_, Rukia. You live through it. You cope. That's the best you can do."

"But I want this feeling in my chest to be _gone_." Rukia placed her hand over her heart. She actually felt a tugging there, a pull. Like someone thrust a hand into her chest and was squeezing her heart with iron cold hands. "I want it to go away."

"Our mothers are never coming back." Ichigo said sternly. "I am trying to let my mother go… you should do the same."

"But I don't know _how_, Ichigo." Rukia confessed.

"Do you honestly think I can help you?" Ichigo's eyes flared. "Do you really think that I don't feel it too? Every damned October 31st it gets worse. Don't you understand that?" Ichigo pounded the earth with his fists. Masaki's perfume, his beautiful mother's scent –burned. Thrown away like trash. Her charred body was left to rot in the wood and ruin her fragrance. "_Don't you understand?_" Ichigo repeated, on the verge of tears. Ichigo Kurosaki never cried. He put to fists in his hair, pulling at the roots.

"Stop it!" Rukia put a hand on his shoulder. "I don't think we should practice today. Frankly, I'm too tired and there is going to be a lot of suffering today. Many men died this year."

Ichigo's fists loosen on the grass. At least he had one thing to be thankful for.

That Rukia hadn't been on that damned list… yet.

"I'll walk you home." Ichigo said. He didn't want to fight anymore. Knowing that in every upcoming year he could lose her because of her beauty and that stupid ritual, he didn't want to make her angry.

"I'm fine -really-"

"I'm walking you home." Ichigo finalizes. Rukia blushes and gets up from the grass. At least he's being nice. Unlike most of the pig-headed males of Lorn. Ichigo follows Rukia down the hillside as the rising smoke from the bonfire burns their nostrils with its blasphemous stench.

"They've already lit the fire? Jesus, it's barely dawn." Rukia sniffed. She threw her bow and arrows over her shoulder and slid he sword into its hilt that was clipped to her leather belt. They started walking down the hill together, hiding behind rocks every so often so as not to be seen.

"Are you going to the sacramental?" Ichigo whispered abruptly. "Aizen is making me. As he does every year. He says that I have to be there for my father, and that it's my _manly duty_." His face twisted into a scowl.

"You already know my answer, carrot-top." Rukia teased, trying to lighten the mood even though it was near impossible on a day like this. "I've never gone to one in my life. Byakuya said the smoke would hurt my 'delicate lungs'."

"Why the fuck does he care?" Ichigo spit. "He let his wife die."

"Ichigo!" Rukia stopped dead in her tracks and turned around to glare at him. She jabbed her fingers into his chest. "Don't talk about that. It… hurts."

And of course, at this very moment, clouds formed in the brightening sky and it started to rain. It was not the typical dark rainy day. The sun still showed its luster through the clouds, and created beautiful rainbows in the trees. Ichigo and Rukia were oblivious to the change in weather, caught up in their own little bubble.

Ichigo gazed into her penetrating violet eyes and sighed. Why does she do this to him? Melt his heart like it was her own? He ran a hand through his soaked orange locks. "I'm sorry."

Rukia kept his gaze for a few intense moments before she lifted her fingers off his chest and continued walking. "If you weren't my best friend I swear I would've killed you by now, Kurosaki." She said as she brought up her damp hair to tie it into a ponytail with a leather band.

Ichigo's lips turned into a sly smile. "Oh really? You think you can take me?"

"Please. We practice together every day. I know all your moves." She waved a hand at him as if to brush him aside. With her back turned to him, she was completely oblivious to his next move.

"You asked for it, Midget." Ichigo lunged for his friend, aiming to knock her feet out from under her, but Rukia whirled around. With stunned eyes, Ichigo grunted in pain as Rukia caught his foot in her hands, twisting it slightly, which caused him to lose balance and fall into the mud. Rukia laughed, but then cursed ("Shit!") when the mud gave way under feet and she fell inconveniently on top of the hard body of Ichigo Kurosaki.

"Ow, Rukia. You're heavy… are you getting fatter?" A cocky white smile graced his pink lips.

"Shut up, idiot!" Rukia smacked him playfully on the chest. She hesitantly left her hand there, liking the way his chiseled chest felt under her fingertips. Immediately, Ichigo's eyes darkened slightly and his breathing accelerated. Hers did as well. With Rukia's legs intermingling with his, Ichigo felt something rousing in his pants.

"Rukia…" Ichigo said softly, and laid a hand on her pale cheek. Is this weird? But hadn't he always wanted this? Ichigo ignored his thoughts and just went with his gut, leaning his neck upwards, his lips closer to hers than they've ever been. Rukia's brain was sending her warning signals _(This will end your 'just friends' relationship forever!)_ but she didn't care. She leaned her face forward and her lips connected with Ichigo's.

Both their eyes closed with content and Ichigo started to deepen the kiss. Rukia shoved her hands into his bright orange hair and pulled at the roots. Not too hard, just enough for Ichigo's cock to harden even more. To get even, Ichigo moved his lips almost violently over hers.

And that was it. What started as an innocent, sweet kiss was suddenly raging out of control like the bonfire in their village just a short mile away. Ichigo's tongue slid across hers, begging for entrance. She complied, and suddenly their tongues were fighting for domination. Rukia, with one hand still entangled in Ichigo's hair and the other slowly sliding down his neck onto his chest, grinded into Ichigo.

Ichigo hissed slightly, and rolled his hips on instinct. "Shit, Rukia…" He grabbed hold of Rukia and turned her over, never breaking the kiss and putting himself on top. He took one of her long sensuous legs -thank God she was wearing pants- and placed it on his hip. Rukia hummed with satisfaction and nipped at Ichigo's lip. Wet, midnight black strands of hair had fallen in front of her face, giving her a wild and carnal appearance. With her so exposed and open beneath him, feeling every inch of her delectable body, Ichigo just couldn't take it anymore. He had to say something.

"What are we doing?" He asked suddenly, placing a hand gently on her face. "_What are we doing?_"

Droplets of rain elegantly fell onto Rukia's eyelashes but she blinked them away.

"I don't know." Rukia said honestly. How did she get in this position? Ichigo was her friend, her protector. The only person she could trust in this village of blood and murder. Why would she jeopardize her friendly relationship with him over some romance?

"I want to be more than your friend." Ichigo said, quickly placing a soft kiss on her lips. "Every day I worry about losing you. If you got in a fight…" He kissed her again. "Or I don't know, died of some sickness, or if you were…" He winced. "Sacrificed."

Ichigo paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "I don't exactly know what I'm feeling right now but I want to protect you and make sure you're safe in this village. I don't want you to leave."

Rukia was stunned by Ichigo's heartfelt soliloquy. Did he really feel that way about her? Or was he just using her for her body like every other boy would do? No, that can't be true. Ichigo had been Rukia's best friend for years. If he wanted to take advantage of her he would have done it already.

"I don't know what I'm feeling for you either, but I'm not going to leave, Ichigo." Rukia wrapped her arms around his torso. Ichigo smiled like a little boy and pulled her up so that they were both in a sitting position and held her tight for a long time.

…

**A/N: Hey everybody! Yes, I am updating really quick again. Amazing, huh? *pats self on back* you can thank insomnia for that. It's seriously 4:16 a.m. where I live. Anyway, to get some things straight: Yes, Rukia's hair is long in this fic. Why? Because I think she would look pretty with long hair and women tended to grow it out in Scotland back in this age. Oh, you know this is set in Scotland, right? Shoot, I'm not sure I mentioned that. Did I? Tell me in a review! (PLEASE?) LOL(: And another thing: there will be flashback scenes in the next chapter or the chapter after that about Byakuya's feelings towards Hisana's death, so prepare yourself.(: REVIEWS ARE MY LIFE SOURCE. WHEN I GET EVEN *ONE* REVIEW IT MAKES ME HAPPY AND I WROTE MORE. DEUCES.**


	4. Episode 4: Reminiscence

**Sacrament**

….

** A/N: Alright! An Author's Note BEFORE a chapter? No way! Anyway, in ElfishScallywag's review… : "I'm liking it so far! There's just one thing: I like the concept of the sacrifices (wow that sound wrong) but the premise is just so unlikely. If there are 4 times as many women, what the heeeeeell are the men doing in charge? And so extremely in charge as well! That's just weird. I can't imagine them being so subservient with no one but Rukia thinking of rebelling when there's just so many of them. They must meet in bathhouses or something like that and complain which would lead to something, right? But anyway, I'm interested in seeing where you're going with this :) " … There are a few questions I would like to answer!**

** One: The premise isn't **_**completely **_**unlikely. Remember, this is an era where men were very dominant and controlling. This is also a work of fiction.**

** Two: Yes, I know that women give birth to girls 4 out of 5, but that's why there are sacrifices! Since women are killed every year, the ratio of women to men goes dowwnnn, so in reality there are only 5 women to the 3 men ratio in Lorn since the sacrifices.**

** Three: There has been no rebellion. Why? **_**Because. **_**Think of it from the women of Lorn's perspective. These sacrifices have been going on for **_**a hundred and plus**_** years. They were born into this life knowing that they might be sacrificed. Of course they don't like it, but rebellion hasn't really come into mind since it is the way of their society. They were born into it, as their mothers and grandmothers were. They just try to keep on the DL so they won't be chosen to be sacrificed. Does that make sense? Leave a review about it or send me a PM if you're confused.**

** Four: There are no bathhouses lol. **

** Sorry this note is so longgg and **_**THANK YOU**_** ElfishScallyway for bringing these questions up! I'm sure that other people were thinking the same thing. Okay, I'm going to write this chappie now. **

….

**Episode 4: Reminiscence**

"_Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous." - Chanakya_

….

Year: 1463 –Day of Hisana's Death—

"Where is that girl?" Byakuya hissed to Rukia's nurse, Unohana. "She needs to get ready to go to the ceremony."

"I don't know where she is, Duke." Unohana lied, folding some towels and putting them in a linen cabinet. Besides Rukia's mother, Unohana was the only one who knew of Rukia's exploits. "You don't think she ran off with some boy, do you?"

"Do not insult me." Byakuya clenched his fist. "Where is she?"

"I do not know, fair Duke." Unohana said. "Now, please, let me make you breakfast."

Byakuya replaced his face of anger with a Kuchiki mask of composure. "Very well." He spat, and whirled around, his white robes flowing behind him as he made his way down the marble curved staircase.

His wife Hisana had been chosen to be sacrificed today. He had told her the night before.

….

_Last Night - Kuchiki Estate - Dining Hall_

_ "Rukia, eat your broccoli." Hisana murmured to her young and rebellious eight year old daughter._

_ "I don't like broccoli." Rukia said defiantly, setting her silver fork down on her porcelain plate and brushing the stubborn band of hair away from her eyes. "I don't want to eat it."_

_ "You will." Byakuya said with firm authority. He took a sip of wine and then proceeded to eat his steak with a knife and fork that scraped against his plate with a maddening sound._

_ Rukia sighed but picked up the fork and reluctantly put a piece of broccoli into her mouth. Hisana shared a sad look with her daughter but continued to eat her dinner silently. As soon as the silence became awkward, Byakuya finished his meal and stood up._

_ "I will retire." He looked at Rukia expectantly._

_ "Goodnight, father." Rukia whispered, twirling her fork around in her little mound of broccoli._

_ "Be sure to eat that." Byakuya said to his daughter. "Hisana." He nodded to his wife, then turned and left._

_ Hisana sighed and leaned over the table to grab a mysterious porcelain jar. She opened the lid and brought out a frosted pink sugar cookie, which she handed to her daughter._

_ Rukia almost squealed with delight as the delicacy was placed into her open hand. "Thank you, Mum."_

_ Hisana smiled and took a linen napkin. "Here, hand me your plate." Rukia did as she was told and handed her mother the almost-empty plate. There was only the broccoli left to eat. Hisana then scooped up the broccoli with the napkin and folded it in half._

_ "In all honesty, I hate broccoli too. You must have got it from me." She winked to her daughter and tucked the napkin into her breast pocket. "I'll throw these horrendous things away later."_

_ Rukia gave her mother the biggest smile she could muster and got up to place a kiss on her mother's cheek. "I'm going to go play outside with Ichigo."_

_ "Okay… have fun!" Hisana said, her lips curling into a gentle smile. As soon as Rukia exited the dining hall, her smile faded. Tomorrow was October 31__st__. The Sacrifice. It was also Rukia's birthday._

_ 'Poor child.' Hisana thought to herself and left the dining hall, leaving the maids to clean up their plates. She entered her and Byakuya's bedchambers to find him reading a thick hardcover book._

_ "What are you reading?" Hisana asked, sitting on the couch opposite of the one he was sitting in._

_ "The Encyclopedia of Scottish royal reign over foreign societies of the East." He replied bluntly. He turned the page, his eyes scanning the contents. _

_ "How interesting." Replied his wife, leaning back onto the couch. After a silent moment, Hisana cleared her throat and spoke._

_ "So… have you found out who will be sacrificed tomorrow? I'm sure Aizen has told you." She picked a piece of lint off the hem of her dress. "I hope it's not anyone I know."_

_ Byakuya slowly closed his book and set it on the coffee table beside him. He looked out of the curtained window in their bedchambers, not wanting to meet his wife's eyes._

_ "You." He said with almost no emotion. "You are to be sacrificed tomorrow during the ceremony."_

_ Hisana's throat tightened, making it difficult to breathe. Her heart sped up and her palms became cold and clammy. Were the walls getting closer? It looked as if she was being closed in, the walls becoming smaller and smaller around her. A few jumbled tears escaped down her cheeks but she brushed them away before Byakuya could notice._

_ "Oh." Was all the woman said as she gradually got up from the couch. "I… um. I'm going to bed. Would you like to join me?"_

_ She wanted to make love to the man she truly loved one last time._

_ Byakuya's eyebrows rose slightly. He walked over to his wife, and laid a soft, chaste kiss on her lips. If this was her dying wish, then he would give it to her._

_The evening continued without much fanfare, it was just like any other night Byakuya decided to pay attention to her, but it was enjoyable anyway. When they were done, and Hisana's sleek and sweaty form was draped over Byakuya's chest, the man mumbled a few words._

"_I'm sorry." Was all he said before he drifted to sleep..._

….

Byakuya entered Aizen's bedchamber with fervor. The ceremony had taken place. Hisana had been the first to go. Hisana was dead. How _dare_ Aizen? Byakuya was a Kuchiki. How could Aizen embarrass him like this? The whole village would talk about it for months.

He was a widower.

"Aizen." Byakuya said in a cold demeanor when he found the brown haired man sitting in a high-backed chair facing his window overlooking the village. "I wish to speak to your Excellency."

"Whatever for, fair-minded Duke?" Came Aizen's reply. His head turned toward the loathing man, acknowledging him.

"You dare embarrass me!" Byakuya hissed, barely able to keep his voice as low as it was. "You oversee all sacrifice procedures, and you choose _my_ wife to be killed? Have you no reason? You've ruined my honored family name."

"I had four sources confirming her practices of black magic. Many of your neighbors saw her escaping to the woods early in the dawn for hours. That's quite suspicious, no? She was the obvious choice, Duke." Aizen broke off eye contact to look out of his window once again, completely ignoring Byakuya.

That stung a little. Byakuya almost flinched at the harm this man was doing to his pride. He almost turned on his heel and stormed out of the building when Aizen stopped him mid-stride with words.

"Besides… you never loved her anyway."

….

Year: 1474 -Ichigo and Rukia are in the woods—

"What are we doing?" He asked suddenly, placing a hand gently on her face. "_What are we doing?"_

Droplets of rain elegantly fell onto Rukia's eyelashes but she blinked them away.

"I don't know." Rukia said honestly. How did she get in this position? Ichigo was her friend, her protector. The only person she could trust in this village of blood and murder. Why would she jeopardize her friendly relationship with him over some romance?

"I want to be more than your friend." Ichigo said, quickly placing a soft kiss on her lips. "Every day I worry about losing you. If you got in a fight…" He kissed her again. "Or I don't know, died of some sickness, or if you were…" He winced. "Sacrificed."

Ichigo paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "I don't exactly know what I'm feeling right now but I want to protect you and make sure you're safe in this village. I don't want you to leave."

Rukia was stunned by Ichigo's heartfelt soliloquy. Did he really feel that way about her? Or was he just using her for her body like every other boy would do? No, that can't be true. Ichigo had been Rukia's best friend for years. If he wanted to take advantage of her he would have done it already.

"I don't know what I'm feeling for you either, but I'm not going to leave, Ichigo." Rukia wrapped her arms around his torso. Ichigo smiled like a little boy and pulled her up so that they were both in a sitting position and held her tight for a long time.

When he finally let her go, it was only to place another small kiss on her lips, and then he placed his lips on the corner of her mouth, loving the little pout there. Rukia smiled, and wrapped her arms around Ichigo's neck.

"You're still my best friend, you know."

"I know." Ichigo murmured against her cheek. "That doesn't change how I've felt about you since I met you."

"What?" asked Rukia, placing a hand on his surprisingly soft cheek. _He has nice skin_, she thought to herself quietly.

"I think I've had feelings for you since the first day we met." Ichigo shrugged. As if he was talking about the weather. Which was fortunately enough easing into a just a slight drizzle. They were still soaking wet though, and Ichigo tried his hardest not to look at Rukia's chest. It was hard not to though. I mean goddamn, it was a white shirt.

Rukia sniffed, the cold was cutting into her skin.

"Are you cold?" Ichigo asked, hugging Rukia closer and changing the topic. "Here-"

Ichigo grabbed for his bag he had with him that was on the ground and brought out a wool blanket. He didn't even know why he packed a blanket this morning; he just thought it might be needed. It was surprisingly cold for October 31st in Lorn.

The young man wrapped the blanket around Rukia –much to her protest—and stood up, letting Rukia set her feet on the ground.

"We should go back." Rukia hugged the blanket tighter to her petite and shivering body. "Byakuya is probably looking for me."

"I'll walk you home." Said Ichigo. Damn, that was turning into his own punch line. He, after a moment's deliberation, placed an arm around Rukia's shoulders and pulled her closer to him as they walked.

"I don't need you to be my bodyguard, Ichigo." Rukia said. "Just because we kissed doesn't mean I've become some helpless female."

They both blushed scarlet at that, knowing it was much more than a kiss. It was the definition of their future together. If they hadn't kissed, then he wouldn't be walking her home, and she wouldn't be thinking all night about him, and vice versa.

After about twenty minutes of casual walking, they finally approached back entrance of the Kuchiki estate. They both looked around, searching for any witnesses, but found none. They would all be in the courtyard by now to watch the ritual.

Rukia smirked and stood up on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around Ichigo's neck to give him a goodbye kiss. Ichigo happily complied, and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flush against him, taking the kiss to a passionate new level. Rukia moaned slightly as Ichigo tilted his head to the side to deepen the kiss, and put his tongue in her mouth, massaging hers. She immediately fought back with her tongue in an all-out war. Rukia fisted her hands in Ichigo's hair and Ichigo's hands were going lower… and lower...

Someone cleared their throat behind them.

"Achem." Unohana clutch her basket of laundry tighter. Rukia jumped and Ichigo let go of his best friend quickly, almost making her lose her balance.

"So this is what years of pent-up sexual tension will do." Unohana smiled half-way and raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry, Unohana." Rukia glanced at Ichigo. His lips were swollen and he was giving her a hungry look. God, his striking face just screamed 'Eat Me.'

"Goodbye, Ichigo." Rukia gave him a limp wave and practically sprinted through the back door, her face completely and utterly beet red. Ichigo's face also flushed.

"See you around, Unohana!" He said before sprinting in the opposite direction.

Unohana smiled to herself and retreated back into the Kuchiki estate to finish the laundry. Thank God Byakuya was at the ceremony.

He would've skinned the boy alive.

….

**End of Episode Four**

**A/N: Soooooooo what did you guys think? Tell me via reviews! I seriously love those things and I take them to heart! I hope you liked the flashback scenes with Byakuya. I thought they were really necessary to develop his character in this story. Please review and favorite! :D Deuces. **


	5. Episode 5: Rebirth

**Sacrament**

**Episode 5: Rebirth**

….

"_Every man dies. Not every man really lives." - Braveheart_

….

Rukia pulled Ichigo's warm blanket around her shoulders tighter as if it were his embrace. Her cheeks were still beet red, her lips still swollen from a kiss. Once she was safe inside her estate, she let out a giddy girlish squeal. Ichigo? Really? Never in a million years did she think that Ichigo,_ her best friend_, would end up being… what? A lover?

Rukia had no idea.

Unohana closed the back entry door quietly. She set a basket of laundry down on a bench next to the door and raised her eyebrow at Rukia expectantly.

"I don't even know what happened, Uno." Rukia smiled slightly. "It just… did."

"Just be safe, okay?" Unohana said, crossing her arms. "I don't want the Duke killing the poor boy."

"I know." Rukia said, and sat down on the bench with a huff. She raised her hands in the air and smacked them down on her knees for emphasis. "That's the problem."

"Maybe… maybe the Duke might come around to accept your relationship…someday." Unohana sighed, and picked up her basket of laundry and patted Rukia's head. "I'll bake your favorite snack to celebrate, okay?" And with that, Unohana turned on her heel and walked down the hallway, leaving Rukia to her own thoughts.

It was just so confusing. One day, she and Ichigo are fighting the woods, throwing swords at each other and getting competitive. Hell, Ichigo almost put dirt in her mouth just to get even for a lost fight. And now…

Rukia blushed at the memory. How in God's name did he learn to kiss like _that?_

Once again, Rukia had no idea. But she wasn't in the mood to find out.

Rukia walked into her bedchambers and stripped off all of her wet clothes and replaced them with a dress that would look acceptable in front of Byakuya. It was a light and willowy white dress with a square neckline that pushed up what little boobs she had into two small –but lovely—crescents at the peak of the neckline. It was embroidered with expensive diamonds at the neck, and a silver satin sash around her waist completed the look. It was her favorite –and most comfortable—dress. Rukia took her long wet hair out of her leather ponytail and French-braided her hair. She was just about to put on a pair of pearl-drop earrings when Byakuya tapped on her door quickly before barging in.

"Rukia." Byakuya nodded, his hands behind his back.

"Hello, father." Rukia nonchalantly kicked her wet clothes under her bed before Byakuya could notice. She really needs to be more careful. What if Byakuya caught her wearing the very clothes she stole from him? He would think she was some kind of lesbian and send her into exile.

"You weren't at the ceremony today. I had expected you to come." Byakuya said, giving a dignified sniff of his nose.

"Oh father, you know I've never gone to one." Rukia put her pearl-drop earrings into place. "Excuse me," She said as she brushed past her father, meaning to go out the door. She touched the doorframe. "And I never will."

Byakuya's eyes tightened slightly as if to say '_Are you sure?' _before putting on his Kuchiki mask. "Very well. If you will excuse me I have business to attend to. I'll see you at dinner." He strode past her with dignified grace and poise. Rukia watched her father turn the corner before she breathed a sigh of relief. What she had said was very risky. She was an adult now and had no right to be living under his roof anymore. Rukia was actually quite surprised that Byakuya hadn't arranged a marriage yet just to get her out of his hair.

Maybe he really wouldn't mind if she married Ichi-

_ Hold that thought_. Rukia told herself. _You are thinking irrationally. One kiss doesn't mean—oh just shut up._ Rukia kicked herself mentally. No, it wasn't just _one_ kiss.

But that was beside the point.

….

Ichigo strolled through the muddy streets of Lorn, thinking about this morning with a blush still speckled on his cheeks. A few lone passersby gave him strange looks, causing his smile to mold into a hardened scowl. He _had_ been in a good mood.

Suddenly, a messenger on horseback rode up to Ichigo, the horse's hooves clapped against the cobblestones. He was a small, dark-haired boy named Hanataro and had known Ichigo for a few years. Since Ichigo became older, he was always getting messages. From his father. From girls. Whoever.

"Hey, Hanataro." Ichigo gave the young boy a nod and a small wave. "What's up?"

"Your father calls for you! He uh, he says to meet him at your home for a briefing." Hanataro stuttered, barely able to hold onto the horse's reigns. "He said it w-was urgent!"

Ichigo's brows knitted together. "I'm on my way."

"You better r-run!" Hanataro called after him. Ichigo had never seen the boy this nervous.

Ichigo nodded and headed for home in a dead sprint.

….

Rukia strolled through the back garden of the Kuchiki Estate, thinking about the ceremony, about her mother… Ichigo… everything.

Byakuya said his business was out of the village and that he would be gone for a few days. That left Rukia to be able to do pretty much anything she wanted as long as Renji wasn't around.

Renji was a knight. He was also Byakuya's second-in-command, and followed her father around like a little lap dog all day. Some days, he was Byakuya's body guard. Other days, he would be his training instructor (yes, Byakuya was aware in the ways of the sword, thanks to Renji), or even his assistant. But, Byakuya had insisted that Renji stay behind to watch over his little girl during his trip, much to Rukia's dismay.

Rukia sighed as she strolled through the garden. Then she heard a branch snap somewhere in the distance. Her head whirled around to the sound, but saw nothing. Just a big hunk of the woods where the garden ended. The girl's eyes tensed slightly but continued on her way, thinking about Ichigo's smile and humming while she walked.

Then a leaf crunched.

Rukia turned around just in time to see a shock of bright red hair disappear behind a tree trunk at the edge of the woods.

She sighed. Stupid men. "Just because my father told you to watch over me doesn't mean you have to stalk my every move!"  
>"I guess you caught me." Renji Abarai appeared from around the tree and smirked. He was wearing black armor that was shining in the light of the afternoon sun as he held his sword in his hand. A pinkish furry shawl was draped around his broad shoulders, his tattooed eyebrows were furrowed and his spiky red hair was held up with a leather band. Ever the fashionable knight.<p>

"What do you want, Renji?" Rukia asked, sitting down on a concrete bench situated next to a pool full of water lilies. She rested her chin in her hands and glared at him. She just wanted to be left alone with her thoughts and the sweet scent of flowers. Was that too much to ask?

A slight wind picked up, making Rukia's white, feather-light dress twist in the wind.

"Nothing. Just making sure you're safe. Procedure, you know." Renji shrugged as if his stalker-ness was part of his daily routine.

"Go away." Rukia turned her head.

"Ah-ah-ah," Renji shook his head condescendingly. "Byakuya wouldn't like that tone, little girl."

"I'm not a little girl and my father isn't here!" Rukia stood up suddenly, and stormed off. How dare he talk to her like that? She was a Duke's daughter! _His only daughter._

"Baby, wait!" Renji caught up with her in just a few long strides. "Don't be mad, I'm just trying to make conversation."

"My conversations with you are not pleasant," Rukia spit and walked faster, her dress billowing around her. "Now leave me alone before I sick Kon on you."

"Oh yah, because I'm scared of your murderous little puppy." Renji scoffed and rolled his muddy brown eyes.

"He's not a puppy anymore! He's a murderous hound, now. You'll see." Rukia threatened and crossed her arms. It was a bit chilly for October 31st, even if the sun was shining the wind still cut through Rukia's skin like glass.

Renji noticed Rukia's slight shiver and pulled the pink furry shawl off of his shoulders. "Here, Rukia…" he began to place the shawl around Rukia's shoulders but she brushed him off.

"I don't need your help." She said. Rukia would rather be snuggled up in Ichigo's blanket that he had given her.

_That sounds like a great idea. _Rukia thought. _At least this idiot can't actually follow me to my bedroom. Byakuya would have a fit!_ She smiled to herself.

"I'm going to my bedchambers." Rukia sniffed and suddenly turned around to walk back to the estate, giving Renji whiplash and a dumb-struck facial expression.

"But—"

"Shut up, Renji." Rukia mumbled, just low enough for him to hear. She hurriedly went through the back entryway and up into her room. She wrapped herself in Ichigo's blanket. The blanket was a Scottish plaid, made up of dull red, green, and orange, but it was very soft and comforting. She hummed in content and snuggled up on her couch with it, breathing in his musky scent.

_Ichigo…_

….

Ichigo arrived at his house sweaty and out-of breath. What could be so important that Goatface had to send a messenger to fetch him? Ichigo heard low murmuring in the kitchen, and walked in there, bending at the knees to catch his breath. His father was sitting at a long dining table, surrounded by his co-workers: Urahara, Tessai, and Urahara's wife Yoruichi. They all had somber expressions on their faces

"What is it, father?" Ichigo said between breaths. "Don't tell me I ran all this way for nothing."

"You didn't, carrot-top." Urahara said, and tilted his green and white stripped hat. Yoruichi nodded in agreement, her lips pursed.

"This is very important." said Isshin Kurosaki bluntly. "Please, sit."

Ichigo did as he was told. It wasn't every day that his father was this serious. "What's going on?" the young orange haired man asked, his scowl deepening. He didn't like the tension in the air.

There was a pause. Urahara glanced at Yoruichi, squeezing her hand that was being held under the table, out of sight. Isshin sighed, and closed his eyes for a moment as if he was really, really tired. When he finally opened them, there was a new fire in the man's eyes.

"Hisana Kuchiki is alive."

"…_what?_"

….

**End of Episode Five.**

**A/N: DUN DUN DUNNNNN! ****ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS…. REVIEWS WILL MAKE THE NEXT CHAPTER COME FASTER! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! THEY ARE THE ICHIGO TO MY RUKIA, THE BITCHSLAP TO MY RENJI, THE FIRE IN MY EYES. REVIEW AND FAVORITE! GAHHH. SO HYPER. MUST SLEEP.**

**UNTIL NEXT TIME.**_**hadhad**_


	6. Episode 6: Nightmare

**Sacrament**

**Episode 6: Nightmare**

….

"_I ain't such a saint that I can promise to risk my life for strangers. Neither am I scum enough to sit quietly by while people are getting hurt before my eyes." –Bleach, Ichigo Kurosaki_

….

Isshin cleared his throat before he spoke. "Hisana is alive."

"…_what?_" Ichigo stood up quickly from his seat, knocking the chair over. It fell to the ground with an audible clang that echoed throughout the dining room. "That's impossible! She died _eleven_ years ago!"

"Calm down, Ichigo! And keep your voice down." Isshin glared at his son morosely. "The only people that know about Hisana's situation are in this very room. The _only reason_ I am telling you this is because you are Rukia's best friend."

Ichigo blushed at the mention of Rukia, the red speckling his cheeks profusely. Hadn't they made-out just ten minutes before…?

The mockery of it all.

"So?" Ichigo clenched his fists. "You expect me to tell Rukia that her mother is alive? You fool!" He flipped the dining table over, making Urahara and Yoruichi flinch but Isshin didn't even bat an eyelash. "She won't believe me -not after all these years of thinking that her mother is dead- and she'll be furious with me for bringing it up… it's a very sensitive subject for her. You and I should both know the feeling!" Ichigo spat towards his father with zeal.

"You don't have to tell her this moment," Isshin said, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow. "That would be ridiculous. First, we must locate Hisana and bring her here -secretly of course- and present her to Rukia in person. Then Rukia will be forced to see the truth."

"I see." Ichigo thought, putting a finger to his chin in contemplation. "How has Hisana managed to stay alive? She has been living alone for eleven years, for Christ's sake."

"That's where we come in." Urahara spoke up as he rubbed his wife's hand with his them."

"Hisana is an old friend of mine." Yoruichi stated simply. "It's not like I was just going to let her die because of some tradition. We've been in contact with her."

"Hisana had escaped to her homeland in England." Urahara said, tilting his hat downwards, casting a deep shadow across his long face. "She still has a few relatives there that helped her survive. Discreetly, of course. Byakuya has agents in England that would report her if they had the chance."

Ichigo nodded at all of this. But one question still stuck in his mind like honey on toast. "_How_ did she escape, exactly? She _jumped into the fire_. You saw it with your own eyes, father-!"

"Ichigo." Isshin cut his son off sharply. The man took a deep breath and exhaled, calming himself. "Please, sit down. And don't try to break my chair this time."

Ichigo reluctantly righted the chair that was on the floor and sat down. He considered picking up the dining table and putting it back to its upright position but thought it was irrelevant at the moment.

"Go on," said Ichigo, waving a hand towards his father. He leaned back in the chair, taking calming breaths to steady his nerves. What could old goat face be rambling about now?

But it was Yoruichi who cleared her throat. Ichigo gave her his full attention. Yoruichi spoke.

"How much do you know about black magic, Ichigo?"

….

_Rukia clenched Ichigo's blanket around her shoulders, begging for its warmth. It was extremely cold out in the wooded area were Rukia and her mother used to practice their weapon training. Snow was piled on the ground, and Rukia trudged through it in bare feet. The snow seemed to cut into her feet like glass, making them blister and bleed as she walked forcefully through the snow. The sun had set hours ago, leaving a blaring white moon in its wake. Rukia used the streaming light of the moon to find a pathway that wasn't covered in snow. Rukia sighed in relief as her feet touched warm dirt. It was in great contrast to the icy snow. She dug her toes in it, relishing in the warmth that reminded her of Ichigo._

_ Wait… why was she here?_

_ In the middle of the forest, where her and her mother used to play. _

_In the snow._

_At night._

_By herself?_

_ Rukia's brows furrowed in confusion, but for some reason, she knew she had to keep moving. She just had to. So she picked up her pace, letting the dirt warm up her aching and bleeding feet considerably. The path was leading out of the woods. The trees were starting to become less dense and more scattered as she traveled south. Rukia walked for several more minutes until the trees were gone entirely and she was in a clearing. The dirt under her feet had gotten even warmer, so much so that it was almost uncomfortable, but Rukia brushed the feeling away. _

_ Then she saw her mother. Beautiful and glowing in the light of the moon. She was standing with her back to Rukia, just yards away from her daughter's reach._

_ "Mom?" Rukia called, her arm stretching out towards her mother. "Mom…?"_

_ Hisana didn't move. The white dress she was wearing –the same one from the ceremony—was billowing around her ankles in the cold breeze. _

_ "Mom… please…" Rukia started to run, but she was moving so slowly, as if she under tons of gallons of crushing water. The dirt beneath her heels was now scalding, it was bubbling under her feet in a boil. She screamed, the heat overtaking her. Pulling her down. Surely, her feet must have been engulfed in flames. The fire licked its way up her legs, higher, higher, burning. _

_ "__**Mom**__!" Rukia yelled._

_ Her mother finally turned towards her. Her face was contorted in a mask of pain. She was crying, but it wasn't water streaming from her tear ducts, it was fire –pure white flames._

_Rukia was sinking deeper into the dirt, the boiling hotness of it consuming her every action. She screamed once more, the piercing sound echoing off the trees and mountains surrounding them._

"_Help me! Mom, please!" Rukia was sinking deeper into the boiling mouth of dirt. The pain was so unbearable. She was being burned alive. Just like her mother had been._

_Hisana's sad face melted into a smirk. Her mouth opened, but her voice was not her own._

_It was deeper, like a man._

"_Burn! Bitch! Whore! __**Burn**__!" The flames that were streaming from Hisana's eyes caused her skin to melt. Her face reshaped itself, turning into that of a man's. Deadly brown eyes glared at Rukia. Hisana's midnight black hair retreated into her head to become a mess of curly brown locks. The dress that was billowing furiously around her legs shrunk in on themselves and became a pair of white pants, and a long-sleeved shirt._

_It was no longer her mother before her._

_It was Aizen._

"_No!" Rukia was now waist-deep in the scorching mud. She held Ichigo's blanket in her arms, above the boiling flames._

_Aizen walked up to her and grabbed the blanket. Then he tossed it aside, out of her reach. It crumpled in the dust. Forgotten, and cold. Aizen grabbed Rukia by the hair._

_ "I'll burn every last bit of you until you are nothing but ash." He pulled her hair sharply at the roots. "And then I'll burn the ashes too."_

_ Rukia tried to defend herself, clawing at Aizen's hands that were tightly gripping her long black hair. "Stop! Please!"_

_ She didn't even leave a scratch on his skin._

_ Aizen laughed, a horrible, echoing sound that raped her ears and made her scream. The boiling mud was up to her neck; her arms were black and burning beneath her._

_ She was completely defenseless._

_ "Goodbye." Aizen plunged her head into the mud. The hotness invaded her throat as she screamed, filling her with fire from the inside out. She thrashed around, surprised that her limbs were still attached to her body. She tried to reach the surface of the boiling mud, but she just wasn't strong enough. Rukia could see Aizen's silhouette from under the mud as if it were only water. _

_ She was still screaming, and then she finally ran out of air._

_ Rukia expected the end. Her death. She closed her eyes, and waited for it to come._

_ But it didn't. So she opened them._

_ She was surrounded by water. She gasped as coolness came over her black, scorched limbs, bringing her the sweetest relief. Rukia calmed, her breathing becoming normal. Wait, she could breathe under water? Huh. The coldness of the water entered her lungs too with its sweet coolness, giving her the uttermost relief. _

_ She was safe._

_ But then Rukia noticed that she was completely alone. With no one there to comfort her and kiss her goodbye. Tears streamed down her cheeks, mixing in with the water around her. She half-expected for the water to turn hot and burn her again, but it didn't._

_ It just got colder._

_ She was sinking now, into pitch blackness. Rukia didn't even trying to swim upwards to safety. Even though she could breathe, Rukia was not going to be okay. The crushing weight of the water surrounded her, and her little body could not fight it, not with a thousand arrows, or the strongest of swords. It was just her, and death._

_ And she accepted it like an old friend._

Rukia woke up. Ichigo's blanket was wrapped tightly around her, so she hugged it closer.

Her dreams weren't usually that bad. Maybe something had happened. Or was about to. Rukia wasn't sure. All she knew was that something was going to change.

For better or for worse, she couldn't tell.

….

Ichigo's scowl deepened. "Black magic? What are you talking about?"

"It's real." said Yoruichi. She squeezed Urahara's hand. "She escaped by using a technique called flashstep –an ability that allows you to travel from once place to another with amazing speed. Hisana used this technique right before the flames came into contact with her skin. Everyone thought she had been burned alive… but she was really safe and sound in England, miles away."

Ichigo was silent. Then, he jumped to his feet suddenly, knocking his chair over and causing it to splinter and crack in half. Much to Isshin's dismay. "**YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THIS BULLSHIT**?"

Ichigo stormed out of the dining room in a huff. Yoruichi, Urahara, and Isshin called after him to come back.

"Come back, son!"

"Let us explain!"

"Don't be so foolish!"

"Hisana Kuchiki is _dead_, dammit!" Ichigo grabbed a wool coat, put it on, and rushed out of the door, slamming it behind him.

He needed to see Rukia.

….

The sun was setting now, but Rukia's violet eyes were wide open. How could she possibly fall asleep after having such a horrifying nightmare? She wouldn't sleep at all tonight.

Since Rukia had been avoiding any social contact with Renji, she had spent the rest of the day in her room smothered in Ichigo's blanket reading books and petting her puppy Kon. She also thought about Ichigo. A lot. Thought about the kiss. A lot. Thought about how amazing his arms felt wrapped around her waist. A lot.

She sighed. Half in nostalgia, the other in longing to relive those memories again.

It was then that there was a rap on her window.

Rukia closed her book slightly, marking her page with an index finger.

"What do you think that is, Kon?" Rukia asked her small puppy who was sleeping contentedly at the foot of her bed. Nothing answered Rukia's question accept Kon's soft snore. Then something rapped against her window again. Rukia bookmarked her page and went to her window, pulling Ichigo's blanket tighter around her cold shoulders. The Kuchiki estate was always cold.

She walked over to her windowsill, her feet making soft patters against the stone floor. Her eyes focused to the darkness outside to see a red-faced Ichigo throwing pebbles at her window. A sapphire-colored pebble hit her window right when Ichigo realized he had gotten her attention. He waved at Rukia, signaling her to come down. She gave him a nod, and held up a finger.

She needed a few minutes.

Rukia turned away from the window and looked in her mirror. God, her hair was a mess. She brushed through it vigorously until it shimmered in the soft pale light of the moon creeping through her curtains. She was about to throw on a dress when she realized that would be extremely stupid due to the cold weather and threw on some brown leather pants and a cream-colored flannel shirt. She put on her brown wool cloak that dropped down all the way to her ankles. Rukia lifted the hood over her face and grabbed Ichigo's blanket and threw it into her leather bag.

Rukia opened her door with a soft creak. She flinched at the sound.

You never really get used to sneaking out at night.

Her black-booted feet pattered across the stone floor as she ghosted past Unohana's bedchambers. Rukia smiled when she heard Unohana's subtle breathing from the other side of the door and quicked her pace. She passed Renji's door without much trouble and finally opened the door to the back entrance. She pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders as she ran through the gardens to where Ichigo was waiting outside her window. Her back was turned to her, and it briefly reminded Rukia was her nightmare she had earlier in the day. She shivered –whether from the cold or from the dream, she couldn't recall—and approached Ichigo.

"Hey." Rukia whispered.

Ichigo flinched and turned around. "Dammit, was took you so long, midget?"

"Shut up." Rukia punched him playfully in the shoulder. "I wasn't exactly expecting a visitor so late in the night."

"Oh really?" Ichigo said, a smile hinting on his lips. "You don't have any secret boyfriends to attend to at this hour? That's not was I expect—OW!"

Rukia had punched him. Harder, this time.

"Only one comes to mind, actually." Rukia rose her eyebrows flirtatiously.

"Is that so?" Ichigo closed the distance between them in one long stride. He wrapped his arms around Rukia's waist –God, it felt even better than she remembered—and pulled her flush against him. "Who is this secret boy?"

"Oh, I don't know…" Rukia put her hands on his warm, chiseled chest. "He kind of looks like you, though." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.

Ichigo hummed with satisfaction and kissed her back, his hands moving from her waist to the sides of her face in a forceful, passionate kiss. "I'm a jealous man." He said when they broke for air.

"Shut up." Rukia said and tangled her hands in Ichigo's strange orange hair. She kissed him again, soft at first, but the kiss quickly grew in intensity as their desire grew stronger. Ichigo's tongue invaded her mouth, causing Rukia to melt, blush, and moan in pleasure all at the same time. She tugged at the roots of Ichigo's hair, driving him insane. He kept one hand on her cheek, but used to other to place on the small of her back. He drove her even closer to him, if that was even possible. They were so close Rukia was surprised that they didn't melt and become one entity.

After a few hungry minutes of this vigorous activity, Rukia pulled away, gasping for air. Her lips were red and swollen, matching Ichigo. She felt something inside her gut warm and purr with need.

"How did you learn to kiss like that?" Rukia asked suddenly, whispering in Ichigo's ear.

"Must be instinct." Ichigo took advantage of her closeness and slid his tongue from the corner of her mouth to her ear. Rukia shivered with pleasure.

"God, you're so beautiful."

Rukia blushed at the compliment, and bent her neck back to give Ichigo easy access to the exposed skin there. He softly kissed, nipped, and sucked on her delicious neck for a full minute before Rukia almost went mad.

"Ichigo—" she said, pulling away from her best friend slightly. "We need to stop. Or leave. Renji will hear us."

"I'm not scared of that bastard." Ichigo mumbled against her neck, but released her anyway.

"You should be. He is a knight after all." Rukia whispered, worriedly glancing up at her window, expecting Renji to be watching from above with hate-filled eyes. "Please, let's just go."

Ichigo sighed. "As you wish." He grabbed her hand and led her away into the night.

….

**A/N: Hello! Are you still there? Sorry that I haven't been updating as quickly as before. I've been busy with school and work and friends and stuff. You know. Anyway, I just sat down and wrote this bad boy because I wanted you guys to have something to read on Thanksgiving. (: Thank you guys SO MUCH for all your reviews and for putting Sacrament as a Favorite Story/Story Alert! It means so much to me and I wish I could give you all a big fat piece of Boston Cream Pie. Please give me more reviews! Did you like Rukia's dream scene, or not? Tell me! I need inspiration for the next chapter! ****私はあなたを愛して！**


	7. Episode 7: Somersaults

**Sacrament**

**Episode 7: Somersaults**

….

"_Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind." - Bruce Lee_

….

_I really shouldn't let her have such an intense… hold on me. _Ichigo thought as he grabbed Rukia's hand and led her into through the massive Kuchiki estate gardens and into the dark, green woods.

_I never thought I could have such a strong feeling for anyone. _Ichigo mused, and gripped her soft, small hand tighter. _Ever since my mother died, I haven't really been close with a woman at all. Sure, there were a few… distractions from my hormonal need but I've never felt anything so…_

_Close._

Ichigo loved the feeling of Rukia hands molding into his like bread dough –as if it belonged there- as he lead her through the thick woods. He wasn't exactly sure where he was going, but Rukia didn't want to stay where they might be caught by that thick-headed bastard knight Renji.

But caught doing what exactly? It's not like they were fucking in the leaves. (He blushed at the thought). Kissing, maybe. But that wasn't a capital offense. Ichigo was sure that Rukia must have kissed other boys before him, right?

_Right?_

Ichigo preferred not to think about it too much. Little did he know that Miss Rukia Kuchiki was thinking the exact same thing.

_You just don't have an _instinct_ to kiss like he did. _Rukia pondered. _He must have had… practice. But with who?_

Rukia cast Ichigo a quizzing glance. He was tall, muscular -but still agile in shape. His movements were deliberate and determind… but graceful. His orange hair was strange, but for some reason Rukia liked it that way. It was natural, but still different, unlike other guys she's had a "thing" with.

Above all, Ichigo was her best friend.

But the recent events have proven otherwise. He's more than that. Ever since they were kids, Ichigo had always been kind, and gentle. Even when they fought (not counting the first time,) he had been kind to her. She knew that Ichigo had let her win in some fights, even though he was very competitive. He was mature beyond his ripe years. He was a good friend overall.

God, she was screwing this all up. She was risking her relationship with Ichigo over her lust for him.

She almost loathed herself.

"Oh." Ichigo said, coming to halt in front of Rukia, making her bump into him roughly.

"Hey! You idiot—"

"Hush, midget." Ichigo whispered. "You're ruining that quiet. Don't you see where we are?"

Rukia looked around, her eyes straining in the dark, with only the light of the moon to guide her. They were at their training grounds, under the big willow tree that Ichigo had found her crying under the first day they met. The ground was so used and beat up from their fights that a long strip of the land had been reduced to dry dirt. Rukia even saw a couple gashes in the ground where they had their last fight just three short days ago.

"Ya. We're at the training grounds. So?" Rukia asked, raising her eyebrow at him.

"I don't know… We've never been here at night. It's kind of eerie, isn't it?" Ichigo examined. "In the light of the moon?"

Rukia gave the training grounds a longer look. Yes, the willow tree's drooping leaves cast long shadows over the dirt, but it was more beautiful than anything else. Sure, there was a dead silence that you could never get used to. There wasn't even any white noise to be heard. No crickets. No leaves brushing. No wind. It was dead silent accept for the sound of Ichigo and Rukia's breathing. But that wasn't so bad, right? Rukia liked to listen to heartbeats.

"I think it's beautiful, actually." Rukia let go of Ichigo's hand and sat down under the willow tree with her knees pulled up to her chest and her brown wool cloak flowing behind her in the soft emerald grass. Ichigo mimicked her actions and sat down next to her, closely, to make sure Rukia was warm enough.

"So your old man let you sneak out of the house, eh?" Ichigo teased, lacing his fingers in between hers, playing with them. God, they were so tiny. Delicate.

"Shut up, fool." Rukia said. "As a matter of fact, Byakuya is out of the village on business."

"Oh. What kind of business?" Ichigo asked with polite curiosity, tugging on her pinky finger, which made Rukia blush considerably.

"I'm not quite sure, actually." Rukia said, her eyebrows furrowed suddenly. "He never told me."

"Does he usually tell you where he's going?"

"Yes." Rukia huffed, feeling left out. Her father usually told her where he was going in case she needed to contact him. You can't send a letter if you don't know the address, right? "That is a very strange thing for my father to do."

"I'm sure that bastard Renji knows." Said Ichigo dully. "He worships the Duke Kuchiki like a God."

"For once, you are right Ichigo." Rukia said spiritedly. She raised her eyebrows at him. "Usually, you're pretty dense."

"Hey!" Ichigo mocked hurt. "That's offensive to my intelligent and sophisticated lifestyle."

It was silent for a few moments before Rukia guffawed, filling the woods with her laughter.

"Shh-!" Ichigo put a hang over her mouth but Rukia was still shaking with giggles. "The mighty Renji will hear you and behead me where I stand!" He smiled.

"You—are—a—a… fool!" Rukia managed to say in between fits of laughter. The thought of Renji galloping on a noble steed with his sword raised high to defend her honor and had Rukia roaring with laughter all over again.

"You have a cute laugh." Ichigo said and touched the side of her face that was blushing from the laughing fit. "I never hear it enough."

"You've heard me laugh plenty." Rukia said, wiping her eyes.

"Not like that."

"Well there's a first time for everything." Rukia supposed, laying down flat against the ground to look at the stars. Ichigo copied her movement, laying himself flat against the ground with their hands intertwined. "Like… this is the first time we've watched the stars together, right?" She whispered.

"Right." Ichigo squeezed her hand. He never really noticed how beautiful the stars were until this very moment. The beauty of the stars could not hold his gaze for long though. They had tough competition with the lovely black haired beauty lying beside him.

"Can I kiss you now?" Ichigo asked, propping himself up on one elbow to get a better look into her piercing lilac eyes.

"If you must." Rukia smiled, and wrapped her arms around his neck as he leaned forward to leave a soft kiss on her lips that was much different than their formal hungry, animalistic make-out sessions. It was… intimate. Then he retreated slightly from her lips, shocked by the feeling that just ran through his whole body. He stared into her eyes, and it felt like a magnet. Like she was pulling him in, pulling him closer. He just couldn't get enough of her.

Rukia lifted her head and placed a kiss on Ichigo's cheek. "I never in a million years think I would feel like this towards my best friend."

"Likewise." Ichigo almost gasped. What was wrong with him? He never got this flustered over a woman before. But… Rukia was different. Their relationship had been building for years. All this love they felt for each other has to be more than friendly.

Rukia hummed with satisfaction has Ichigo's lips connected with hers once more, and she turned him over in the soft grass so that she was on top to deepen the kiss.

When Ichigo had stormed out of his father's house earlier, he had expected to tell Rukia everything upfront. Blunt. To the point. But he couldn't. Honestly, he didn't have the ball to. Rukia was happy. She was smiling and blushing and laughing hysterically for Christ's sake. How could he ruin this moment with her?

He just couldn't do it.

So he just kissed her back, happy for the distraction as his mind did somersaults.

….

Renji sat at the foot of his massive bed, shirtless, his violent red hair a disheveled mess. Contemplating. His brain had refused to shut off and let him sleep even if it was late into the night.

Earlier that day, Rukia, very bluntly, rejected him in the gardens. His pride wounded, Renji couldn't help but just run away with his tail in between his legs. And he really thought he was beginning to warm up to her up, too.

Renji had been trying to capture Rukia's heart ever since she turned sixteen. He had just become a knight then, and had been assigned as the Duke Kuchiki's personal bodyguard. Yamamoto told him it was a high honor, so how could he refuse? He took the job with pride.

As soon as Renji had moved into the Kuchiki estate, he had also been infatuated with the Duke Kuchiki's daughter, Rukia. With her long flowing hair, desirable petite body, and esteemed family name, she was a grand prize. The only bad thing about her was her sharp tongue, though. Renji liked his women submissive, and timid.

Damn her. Why couldn't she just see that he's meant for her? Damn it all.

When Byakuya first told Renji of his and Rukia's arranged marriage over two years ago, at first Renji was thrilled. He had been admiring Rukia from afar for a while now, hadn't he? He was delighted to be engaged to Miss Kuchiki. But, Byakuya had insisted that Renji did not tell his future wife of their arrangement because she was too young to be married, and Byakuya wanted it to be a surprise. Renji didn't worry about it at all though. Eventually they would get married and Rukia would produce a Kuchiki heir.

He'd been waiting a damn long time though. Three years was a damn long time. Rukia was nineteen, well over the marrying age, but Byakuya had insisted that Renji court her first. It wouldn't be that hard.

I mean, they're soulmates, right?

Byakuya said so.

….

**A/N: Hey there, Readers! I know this update is short but I wanted to update early since I got such nice reviews! A big thank you to: ****MindlessAbandon****, ****Ashezo****, ****09ice****, ****panianime****, and ****Personal Riot**** for reviewing! Oh, and to answer ****alero1990****'s review/question from Episode 5, I hope this chapter cleared it up for you! ****私はあなたを愛して！**


	8. Episode 8: Stratagem

**Sacrament**

**Episode 8: Stratagem**

….

"_But it is not conscious strategy to go for unconventional roles." - Anil Kapoor_

….

"Hisana Kuchiki is _dead_, dammit!"

Isshin saw his frantic son grab a wool coat, throw it on, and stomp out of the house, slamming the heavy wooden door in the progress. The middle aged man sighed, and glanced over at his co-workers Urahara and Yoruichi. They both had a look of deep concern on their faces.

"I hope he isn't running off to go tell the poor girl," Urahara sighed, tilting his green and white striped hat upwards to look at Isshin. "It's too soon."

"I know." Isshin answered. "But Rukia Kuchiki will have to know… eventually. She's a smart girl so I'm sure she'll figure it out sooner or later."

"We'll have to tell the Duke Kuchiki, at least." Yoruichi spoke up, fiddling with a piece of her lavender hair like a cat toying with yarn. Yoruichi was a witch. Well-half witch, anyway. Her mother was originally from Spain, and her father from Scotland. Her mother had been born a pure witch, but did not use her black magic to harm other human beings. While performing a mission trip to a small Scottish village called Rutherglen to teach the children there how to read and write, she met Yoruichi's father, who was there on business. They fell in love, got married and moved to Lorn, where Yoruichi was born. After her mother died at the age of twenty eight for a sacrifice, her father died soon after from a broken heart. Orphaned and young at the age of seven, Yoruichi couldn't take care of herself. Eventually, an old, kind woman named Soi-fong took her in. Soi-fong homeschooled Yoruichi, teaching her mathematics, economics, and of course, how to read and write. Yoruichi grew into a strong, smart, and independent woman when Soi-fong died of old age and handed over her pastry shop to Yoruichi. When Yoruichi met Urahara, they fell madly in love at first sight and decided to get married and open a business together. Now their shops are conjoined: Fong Pastries and Urahara's Tavern. They lived a happy, comfortable life.

Until Yoruichi found out that Hisana was still alive. That threw her life out for a loop.

"I think the Duke might already know." Urahara said seriously. "It's rumored that he went on a business trip to England and will be gone for a few days. Business trip my ass."

Isshin and Yoruichi both grunted in agreement.

"Quite right, honey. Why else would he go so far away to England-personally-except to see his late wife?" Yoruichi pondered. "But it _could_ possibly be a coincidence."

"That's highly unlikely dear." Urahara said, squeezing her hand and looking at her lovingly.

"I know, but still." Yoruichi said, tossing her purple tresses over her shoulder. "I don't want that bastard to ever hurt Hisana again."

All three of them sighed.

"Well," said Isshin, getting up. "It's been a very eventful day. I say we all get some rest and then meet up again tomorrow morning to decide what we're going to do about Hisana and Byakuya Kuchiki."

….

After looking at the stars for what seemed like minutes, even though it had been hours, Ichigo noticed Rukia's shiver from the cold and decided to take her home. Once they were only a few yards away from the Kuchiki estate, Ichigo gave her a soft kiss on the cheek goodnight and watched her small, lithe form clutch his blanket to her body and disappear into her stone estate before he turned on his heel and headed for home. He liked how his blanket looked around her small shoulders. It made him feel like he could protect her, even if he wasn't there.

Ichigo entered his house silently, so as to not wake his father. The house was pitch dark as Ichigo shrugged off his wool coat and tossed it aside on a bench situated by the door. He was about to look for a candle when he heard a scraping sound, and abruptly turned around with a slight gasp to see Isshin striking a match, the orange glow of the fire illuminated his face and gave him a stern, fatherly look.

"Father." Ichigo nodded to him, acknowledging his presence.

Isshin grunted and lit a candle before blowing out the match and setting the small, now insignificant piece of wood on a coffee table. The candle was bright and radiated the entire room in a warm light. "Son." He said.

Ichigo cleared his throat awkwardly. "I didn't tell her."

Isshin's stern face melted into a happier one. "Thank the Gods."

"I thought you wanted me to tell her about Hisana?" Ichigo asked, raising an eyebrow towards his father. Old goat face must finally be turning senile. He's already contradicting himself.

"No, son. It is too soon for her to know. Not until we have Hisana in our grasp." Isshin waved at Ichigo to follow him, and his son reluctantly -but obediently- obeyed. Isshin led his son down a hallway and stopped in front of a wooden door. Ichigo recognized it as his sisters' room.

"What are you—" Ichigo whispered. Did Isshin intend to wake his sisters up? They needed their sleep after today. It was October 31st after all. Ichigo was sure that all the women of Lorn -who were still alive, anyway—would be exhausted after the ritual. Dreading what could be your last day must take a toll on them. Ichigo's heart went out to his sisters and all the women of Lorn.

"I want to show you something." Isshin opened the large wooden door, it creaked slightly, causing Ichigo to flinch. He didn't want his sisters to wake up. The light from Isshin's candle illuminated the girls' room in a ghostly light. It shone on their sleeping, angelic faces with effortless grace. The flame flickered, causing the shadows on their faces to dance and twirl.

"You see them?" Isshin asked his son. Ichigo nodded. "They are the most precious things in my world. And I don't want them to have the same fate as your mother did."

Ichigo's throat tightened, making it hard for him to breathe. Isshin closed the door softly until it clicked, then turned to face his son.

"I think that Hisana Kuchiki might be just the thing to make our society see its blasphemous ways. We need her. She has connections, political power. We need her for our campaign." Isshin said grimly. He looked tired; a five o'clock shadow graced his features. He rubbed his hand over his face in exhaustion.

"Campaign?" Ichigo asked. This was the first he's ever heard of any kind of campaign in Lorn.

"A Campaign against the rituals, Ichigo. The Sacrifices." Isshin said, and then lowered his voice into an almost unintelligible whisper. "I want Aizen to die."

….

The moon was high in the sky when Rukia finally returned to the Kuchiki estate. Ichigo gave her a soft kiss on the cheek and then walked away without saying a word. He didn't need to. Rukia clutched Ichigo's blanket tighter around her shoulders and then went through the back door to her estate. She bounded up the cold stone stairs to reach her bedroom. Then Renji was suddenly in front of her, blocking her way. He was wearing nothing but a pair of wool pants. His feet were bare, like his chest, and his hair wasn't in his usual pony tail. It looks wild, and violent, the red strands sticking out in odd directions draped over his broad shoulders. He scowled at her.

"What do you want, Renji? It's late." Rukia hastily used her cloak and Ichigo's blanket to cover up her outfit -pants and boots, obviously not suitable for a woman of the Kuchiki household.

"What are you doing up so late?" Renji cocked his head to the side. "The Duke Kuchiki would have a fit if he knew you weren't getting proper rest."

"I should say the same to you." Rukia spit and tried to shove past him. He casually blocked her way, putting a muscled arm right in front of her and stepping closer, their faces only a foot apart. He stared at her for a long time, the moments dragging out and becoming intense. Rukia glared at him, hoping the malice in her eyes would make him leave her alone. Renji huffed, and his arm slid away from the wall.

"See you in the morning." He said, and slid into his room, shutting the door.

"I hope not." Said Rukia and went into her room. She kicked her boots off and slipped into her warm silk sheets, sighing.

That night, she dreamed of corpses.

….

"_Kill_ Aizen? Are you crazy?" Ichigo whispered, trying to keep his anger from boiling out of control. What was his father thinking! That stupid, moronic, idiot goat-

"Calm down, son. This is going to work." Isshin set the candle down on a table and crossed him arms. "It's just going to take time, patience, and stragegy."

"And a whole lot of fucking power." Ichigo said. "But how are you ever going to get people to back you up on this? The rituals have been part of our society's culture for a hundred… _hundreds_ of years!"

"I'm pretty sure I can get most of the women on our side." Isshin said matter-of-factly. "The ones that aren't cowards, anyway."

"So… what, like twenty women then? Thirty?" Ichigo hissed at his father. "That's not enough. They're all as frightened as little rabbits!"

"With Hisana Kuchiki's help, I think we can get much more than that." Isshin placed a finger to his chin, thinking. "The women of this village respected her greatly before she "died". We can get more women on our side, I'm sure of it." Isshin paused. "…we just need to find her."

Ichigo glared at his father for a long moment before he sighed, giving up. "Fine. I'm on your side with this. But I still have doubts on whether or not we can win."

"So do I, son… so do I."

….

**A/N: Hello! :D Sorry that it took me a while to update! On Monday, I got grounded for some bad grades, then on Tuesday, I got into a bad car accident and totaled my car… eh… on Wednesday and Thursday I was still grounded… and so I basically just started this chapter on Friday. I hope you liked it! The plot is finally boiling up! **

**Thank you to ****Chris****, ****teshichan****, ****Ashezo****, ****CheezuKe-KiXD****, ****panianime****,**** J****, and ****PersonalRiot****, for reviewing and Ichirukitard for the LONGEST REVIEW EVER! ****私はあなたを愛して！**


	9. Episode 9: Glow!

**Sacrament**

**Episode 9: Glow!**

….

"_Charm is a glow within a woman that casts a most becoming light on others." - John Mason Brown_

….

The first thing Rukia thought about when she opened her purple lidded eyes from a restless sleep was of her father, Byakuya. He would be returning early tomorrow morning. That meant the young girl only had one more day of freedom before her father arrived and kept her locked inside her stone cage. Rukia sighed, and rose from her soft, warm bed. She was still dressed in a shirt and wool pants. The midnight haired beauty quickly stripped out of her clothes and threw on a simple baby blue gown that reached her ankles and had long, flowing sleeves that caressed her wrists. The neckline was a Cupid's bow, and a simple white sash accommodated her waist. She tossed her long, wavy hair into a messy bun and then opened her door quietly, trying not to wake the many other members of the estate. When she saw no one in the hallway, (she was particularly making sure Renji wasn't there to irritate her,) Rukia slipped out of her room and padded down the hallway to the kitchens.

Unohana was already there, making some form of pancake with her hair in a large braid and an apron around her slim waist. Rukia's mouth watered at the smell of the pancakes wafting in the kitchen. She tried to identify the flavor… Blueberry? Raspberry? No.. it was… Rukia blinked thoughtfully.

_Strawberry._

Rukia, in a very unladylike manner, snorted at the irony. Unohana jumped slightly, spilling some pancake batter on her apron. The middle aged women turned around abruptly with a surprised look on her face which quickly melted when she saw that it was the young maiden behind her and not some intruder.

"Darling, you scared me." Unohana wiped her forehead with a sleeve and smiled.

"I'm sorry, Unohana." Rukia said, "Do you need any help with breakfast?" Rukia slid into an old wooden chair and grunted as her muscles tensed and cramped. She hated sleepless nights.

Unohana's eyes widened for a moment before she spoke. "Oh no, dear! We wouldn't want to get pancake batter all over your pretty dress now, would we?"

"Unohana, I can change—"

"No, no! I've got it. How about you go for a stroll? It's very warm this morning. Surprisingly for November, eh?" That's right. It was November now. But the sacrifices would resume next year. In just one, short year. Unohana raised an eyebrow and continued stirring the batter, turning her back to Rukia. The woman had noticed the dark circles under Rukia's eyes, but decided not to press the issue. Rukia was strong. She could handle anything that was thrown at her.

Rukia gazed out of one of the windows in the kitchen, and saw a lovely sun peaking over the horizon, painting the Kuchiki gardens with a heavenly, peachy glow. It reminded Rukia of Ichigo's hair, for some strange reason. A blush crept on her cheeks at the thought of the handsome young man. Rukia's thoughts suddenly had her all flustered and the girl thought that a refreshing stroll wouldn't be such a bad idea after all. She needed to loosen up her muscles and gain a clear head. With the sacrifices yesterday, and her and Ichigo's budding relationship, she hadn't had that much time to really set her priorities straight over the past couple of days.

"Yes, Unohana. It does look warm. I think I will take a little walk, thank you." Rukia nodded to her nurse-since-birth and the middle aged woman smiled back at her before returning to her work. Rukia exited the kitchen and slipped into her bedroom to grab Ichigo's blanket and draped it over her shoulders. Rukia cringed slightly when she passed Renji's room, hearing his loud, obnoxious snore. The thought of him looking so disheveled last night, the way he eyed her body like she was something to eat, set Rukia's teeth on edge. She tiptoed past the red-haired man's room as quietly as she could and left the Kuchiki estate to the comfort of the gardens. It was pretty warm for a November morning, probably sixty-five degrees. Rukia loved the slight breeze that tousled her hair and comforted her heavy, purple lidded eyes. She had hardly gotten any sleep last night.

Her mother had visited her dreams again.

The thing that really haunted Rukia Kuchiki, though, was that it was a good dream. Her mother had been alive. Healthy, even. There had been a lovely glow in her cheeks, a sharp, intelligent look in her eyes that deeply contrasted the dead stare Rukia was used to. In her dream, Rukia had seen her mother in a clearing in the woods, much like the clearing in her last nightmare with the boiling mud. But it had been a bright and sunny day, much like this one now. Her mother had been lying on her back in the field, the soft grass embracing her, the sun gracing her cheeks.

She was beautiful.

But that's why it had hurt so much. Because Rukia knew that she could never see her mother. Touch her, feel her comforting embrace ever again. And it _killed_ her.

Rukia almost started to break down and cry right there in the gardens, surrounded by flowers of all sizes and colors, but she stopped herself. What would Ichigo think if he saw her this way? He would probably think that she was just another weak woman. Nothing special. Ichigo admired the fierceness in her, she knew that.

So she had to stay that way. Fierce. Strong. Independent. And she was determined to do so.

Rukia strolled through the gardens with a now-passive look on her face. Her eyes were half-lidded, an almost bored expression touching her features. The Kuchiki mask. Her fingers fanned out to touch the soft, velvety flowers as she passed them, and she thought of Ichigo's hair again. His was soft too. Only the touch of the petals could rival it. She hummed when peaceful thoughts of Ichigo entered her head, and remained in the garden for the better part of an hour before something strange happened.

It wasn't completely strange, like a meteor falling from the sky, or a fly suddenly growing in size and dancing the hula. No, it wasn't _that_ strange.

But it was strange enough to be noticed.

Rukia's left hand had started to glow. At first, Rukia wasn't perturbed at the slight glow in her left hand. _It must be coming from the light of the sunrise, _the young beauty thought, bringing her hand up to inspect it. _You're making a fool of yourself. Put your hand down, Rukia, _she heard her father's patronizing voice echoing in her head. But then the glow intensified, and slowly turned the color of red. That was certainly not natural light of the sun.

Rukia, with her other hand, tried to brush the glow off, as if it were just red paint. It didn't budge. The glow suddenly grew brighter, with more intensity. Rukia yelped and stepped back, tripping over a root protruding from the cobblestones of the garden. Rukia squeaked as she fell on her ass with a hard thump, and then momentum led the way -making her fly backwards until she was facing the cobalt blue sky, her legs in the air, exposing her undergarments.

It would have been hilarious if the glow in Rukia's hand hadn't started to burn.

"Ah!" Rukia desperately picked up dirt and put it on her burning hand, trying to extinguish the "fire". When it responded by growing even hotter, Rukia scrambled up and ran towards the Kuchiki pond in the middle of the gardens. She threw herself into the cold water without even thinking about it. She had to. Her hand was on fire.

Rukia, holding her breath, opened her eyes in the murky water and looked at her hand. It was glowing as bright as the sun, and burning even hotter. She wondered why the water wasn't boiling around her appendage. She screamed again, the pain overtaking her.

Then, a hand reached down through the water and grabbed hold of her hand, the one that wasn't glowing, and pulled Rukia up out of the water. Strong arms embraced her as she coughed and sputtered and continued to scream.

"Rukia!" Long fingers caressed her cheek, trying to get a reaction out of her. "Rukia! What's wrong?" Soft hands on her face, then running through her hair. "Rukia! Dear God, answer me! What's the matter? Are you hurt? Are you—"

Rukia's screaming ceased. She stared at her hand. The pain had vanished. Rukia looked at her small, pale hand. It wasn't glowing red at all. The burning was gone. To Rukia it almost felt like it didn't even happen.

"I'm fine." Rukia said, her voice shaking.

The strong arms around Rukia relaxed a bit, and she heard a deep exhale escape from the man.

"Thank God." Byakuya said.

…**.**

Ichigo stared at all the copies of the Gore Lists from the past century. There were 100 of them exactly, each for every year. It had taken Ichigo's father a lot of trouble just to get these copies of the Gore Lists, and Ichigo was reading them intently, trying to find some kind of pattern to Aizen's madness. If the rumors were true, and most likely they were, Aizen hand-picked the victims of the sacrifices himself. Rukia and Ichigo's mothers included. Ichigo had decided to read them in chronological order, started with the first noted sacrificial list with meticulous eyes. Ichigo read many of them, and had written down the names of some of the women that seemed connected in some way. He wasn't sure how much of a lead this was, but Ichigo was determind to get an upperhand on Aizen. In any way possible.

But Ichigo's throat tightened when he looked at the year of 1760. His mother had died fourteen years ago in the fire. And still, Ichigo could smell the rancid stench of his mother's rotting perfume. He closed his eyes, suddenly a bit woozy at the sight of his mother's name written on the paper in beautiful blood red ink. He sniffed, and his ears perked up when he heard the sound of light footsteps pattering by his doorstep.

Ichigo, utterly perplexed, stared at Yoruichi, who had just barged into his home like she belonged there. Then again, maybe she did. His eyes widened as he took in her disheveled form. She was wearing pants –the first time he saw a woman wear men's clothes besides Rukia—that were dirty and mudded. She wore a strange orange smock that was also dirty and ripped in some places, and her hair was an absolute mess.

"I've found her." Yoruichi said, reaching up and picking out leaves and some small twigs from her mass of purple hair. "It took a _lot_ of effort… but I found her."

"Who?" Ichigo said. As if he had to ask.

"Rukia's mother." Yoruichi replied with bright eyes. "I've found Hisana Kuchiki."

….

"Father?" Rukia asked as she gazed up at her father. Byakuya was holding her. He was actually holding her in his arms. The last time he did that she must have been a small child. "Is it really you father? You're not supposed to be back until…" Rukia looked up at the sky. It was pitch dark. Only the light of the moon offered any kind of light. Where had all the time gone?

Byakuya patted her back, and then gripped her harder as he got up with his daughter in his arms, carrying her back to the house. "We have to talk, Rukia. Immediately. I know you're tired and you want to rest but it's very important that you know."

"Know what?" Rukia asked, leaning her head against her father's chest as he opened the back door to the Kuchiki estate with his booted foot. He walked inside, still carrying her, and made his way down the hallway and upstairs.

"About your mother."

Rukia's eyebrows furrowed deeply just as a pinching sensation gripped her heart. Her mother? Why?

"What about her." Rukia mumbled, and closed her eyes, remembering her dream with the boiling mud.

"Oh, Rukia. There is much you do not know about your mother. About me, even." Byakuya entered his study and set his daughter down on a big cushioned chair. It was the same one Hisana used to read in on rainy days. Byakuya sighed and sat down in the chair opposite Rukia.

The young woman pulled her knees up to her chest, shivering slightly. Her clothes were still soaking wet, as was her hair. Byakuya pursed his lips, then got up and wrapped a big feather-down blanket before sitting back down again and crossing his arms. Rukia cuddled with the blanket, thankful for it's warmth.

"So." Byakuya said. "Where to begin?"

….

**A/N: I am EXTREMELY sorry for the late late late late update! I had finals this week and I studied my ass off. I was also grounded for a while… heh… silly me :/ Anyway, I hoped you liked this chapter! A lot of stuff is rolling in motion as the plot unfolds! Whoo! Sorry for the lack of IchiRuki fluff. I'm sure there will be TONS when Ichigo finds out about Rukia's… incident? Ahh! It's such a mystery! **

**Thank You For Reviewing: ****Chris****, ****panianime****, ****WindMiko****, and ****splitheart1120****. **

**Happy Readings!**

**P.S. = I plan on updating on Christmas to make up for the lateness. Consider it a Christmas present **

**P.P.S. = Sacrament is almost to 50 REVIEWS! You guys are so awesome! Thank you! And don't forget to REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**


	10. Episode 10: Clandestine Chamber

**Sacrament**

**Episode 10: Clandestine Chamber**

…**.**

"_I know I can do it. I'm sure that in time, every bit of her will be gone and her death will be a mystery... even to me." – Mort Rainey, Secret Window_

…**.**

"We have to talk, Rukia. Immediately. I know you're tired and you want to rest but it's very important that you know."

"Know what?" Rukia asked, leaning her head against her father's chest as he opened the back door to the Kuchiki estate with his booted foot. He walked inside, still carrying her, and made his way down the hallway and upstairs.

"About your mother."

Rukia's eyebrows furrowed deeply just as a pinching sensation gripped her heart. Her mother? Why?

"What about her." Rukia mumbled, and closed her eyes, remembering her dream with the boiling mud.

"Oh, Rukia. There is much you do not know about your mother. About me, even." Byakuya entered his study and set his daughter down on a big cushioned chair. It was the same one Hisana used to read in on rainy days. Byakuya sighed and sat down in the chair opposite Rukia.

The young woman pulled her knees up to her chest, shivering slightly. Her clothes were still soaking wet, as was her hair. Byakuya pursed his lips, then got up and wrapped a big feather-down blanket around his daughter before sitting back down again and crossing his arms. Rukia cuddled with the blanket, thankful for it's warmth.

"So." Byakuya said. "Where to begin?"

"You can still with… Mom." Rukia whispered, burrowing herself into the blanket like a naked mole rat. She sniffed.

"Rukia, your mother was a very special person." Byakuya stated, clearing his throat and looking down at the floor. He wasn't used to expressing his emotions so openly. And willingly. "She was a Witch—"

"Do not lie to me, father." Rukia said, giving Byakuya an ice-cold glare. "You and I both know that Witches are just an excuse to sacrifice women."

"That is not true, Rukia." Byakuya raised an eyebrow at her. "Witches are as real as you and I."

Rukia's mouth popped open to form a small O with disbelief. The man smiled -ever so slightly-at her reaction. Byakuya was actually serious.

…Her mother was a witch? Rukia couldn't believe it. Her mind was trying to keep up with what her father just said… but she couldn't wrap her brain around it. There was no way her mother could keep something like that from her for eight years. No way.

"In actuality, your mother was only one-half witch, or, called in the Witch Society: a Leath. Having said that, you, my daughter, are one-fourth witch. Known as a Ceithre, in Witch language."

"No!" Rukia gasped, one hand over her mouth.

"When I saw you drowning in the pond, I knew you must have just recently received your Ability. When you first get the Ability, around the age of twenty, your least-used hand will glow, and become hot. So hot, as if it is on fire. Now I understand why you jumped into the pond in the first place." Byakuya smiled without humor.

"This is crazy." Rukia closed her eyes. "This is absolutely insane, father. I can't be a Witch…"

"You are a Witch, Rukia." Byakuya said, raising his voice slightly. "You must accept your fate and know that you are a Witch, just like your mother. You are a Ceithre, and must behave as such. Now," said Byakuya rising from his seat, "Please cooperate with me. I need to show you something." He held out his hand.

Rukia, still disbelieving, obediently rose from her chair and took her father's hand tentatively. He led her out of his study and down a corridor. They passed Renji's room on the way. His door was wide open. Rukia could see Renji in his room, situating his stupid peach shawl in the exact angle that he wanted it to hang from his shoulder. The sight was kind of hilarious. Suddenly they heard a grunt of surprise from the red-haired man at the sight of his Lord. Renji, to Rukia's dismay, clambered out of his room to meet them.

"My Lord!" Renji bowed. "So good to see you again! I thought you were arriving in the morning! I would have set a welcoming feast if I had known you would be returning tonight! My Lord, I-"

"Renji Abarai." Byakuya cut the man off. "Did you know that my daughter almost drowned in the garden pond earlier?"

Renji's faced paled. Then he turned to look at his betrothed (unbeknownst to Rukia), and turned as pale as a crisp linen sheet. Rukia was still wet, her hair a damp mess, a few stray drops of water fell from her long sleeves.

"Where were you when my daughter was in distress, Abarai?" The Duke Kuchiki glared at the man. "If it wasn't for me, Rukia would be dead."

The look in her father's eyes almost made Rukia feel pity for the man.

"I can take care of myself, father…" Rukia mumbled. The two men didn't hear her.

"My Lord… I…" Renji hung his head. "I'm sorry."

"You didn't answer my question, boy." Byakuya almost spat. "Where were you when my Rukia almost died?"

Renji gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing. "I… I w-was…"

"Answer me."

"I was in in the village… the southern part of town." Renji hung his head. "All day. I thought that Rukia didn't want to see me, and I…" the red-haired man hesitated, probably scarred for his life.

"Go on boy, spit it out." Byakuya let go of Rukia's hand to cross his arms over his trim chest.

"I went to Seireitei."

Rukia blushed and looked down at the ground at the mention of the whore house in the southern end of Lorn. It was a filthy, nasty place littered with dishonorable women -and a few men- who sell their bodies for money or to pay off debts. Rukia pitied a lot of the women there.

"You **what**?" Byakuya asked incredulously. A long, tense moment passed before Byakuya's almost maddened face melted into passiveness. "…You disgust me. Leave my estate. Pack your things, you are not coming back."

Renji nodded glumly, and receded into his bedchambers to grab his belongings. When he returned with a small leather bag, only half full, he stopped in front of Byakuya. He tried to say something. The red-haired man even opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He was ashamed. He glanced at Rukia, his betrothed, and gazed into her eyes. He could see their future together in his mind, and how he had just lost everything he was promised over a stupid mistake.

"Goodbye." Renji said, his voice cracking.

"Leave." Byakuya glared at the man who was staring at his young daughter.

Rukia just nodded at Renji, her wet head bobbing marginally. She wasn't going to lose sleep over his banishment. In fact, Rukia was quite glad. Now she didn't have her own personal lapdog. One she did not want, mind you.

Renji, a pained look on his face, tore his gaze away from Rukia's beautiful violet eyes and shook his head as he walked away, hefting the leather bag over one shoulder. Rukia heard a whiney as Renji mounted his white steed Zabimaru.

Byakuya sighed. "Well, that's over with."

Rukia furrowed her eyebrows. For some reason, she didn't believe that they had seen the last of Renji Abarai.

Byakuya took his daughter's hand again and led her upstairs. They walked for several minutes in silence before they approached two huge mahogany doors. With a huff, Byakuya opened one of them and he and Rukia slipped inside. It was the Kuchiki estate's massive library. The walls, which were three stories high, were absolutely smothered in books of all genres. There were many long, movable ladders on wheels that were scattered throughout the library. They were there for the purpose of reaching the different levels of the books in the library. Byakuya said they were just for show, deeming them highly dangerous and untrusted. That didn't stop Rukia from climbing to the very top of them when she was younger. The walls (if you were lucky enough to see them in between stacks of books) were a stunning royal blue. There were also two, simple marble staircases that wove up to a huge balcony level with the second floor, and then weaved together into one staircase that rose up to the third balcony level with the third floor. Byakuya immediately made his way up the staircases to the third balcony, Rukia in tow.

They were up very high, and some of the chairs on the first floor seemed like toys now, like the kind that belonged in a dollhouse. Then Byakuya stopped. In the middle of the oval-shaped balcony, there was the Kuchiki family crest symbol engraved in the tile. It was a deep blue, almost black color, in stark contrast with the cream colored marble. He stood on the middle of it, and held out his palms in front of him.

"Take my hands, Rukia." He said.

Perplexed, but full of curiosity, Rukia took hold of her father's strong hands. Then he spoke.

"Oscailt." Byakuya chanted, and suddenly the symbol beneath them became a dark hole, and they fell through. Rukia didn't even have time to scream when they landed on a cold floor. The impact of the fall should've hurt Rukia. In fact, she should be on the ground, bent in awkward places, screaming her head off. But she wasn't. It was as if instead of falling down and gaining speed, they had slowed down. They landed softly on cold stone.

….

"Where is she?" Ichigo's tall frame perked up, and he rose from the chair to confront Yoruichi. "Where is Rukia's mother?" He looked at Yoruichi's muddy frame and snorted. "Gods, you're a mess." He plucked a twig from her hair and threw it on the ground.

"Shut up." Yoruichi rolled her eyes. "And, if you must know, Mrs. Hisana Kuchiki is now staying in my spare room above the shop."

"Let's just hope she doesn't get fat eating all of your cupcakes-"

Yoruichi bashed his head with an iron fist. Ichigo yelled ("Hey! What was that for?") and rubbed his aching head.

"She's barely eating at all, actually. She's quite shaken. We're lucky we made it out of England with our lives."

Ichigo stopped rubbing his head, a seriousness overcoming his mood. "Are you or Hisana hurt?" His eyes narrowed.

"No, we're fine. Just a few cuts and bruises. I healed them already."

"Wait, what? How? Cuts take a few days to heal and—"

"It's about time you know, Ichigo." Yoruichi tossed her hair over her slim shoulder nonchalantly. "Hisana isn't the only one that can perform black magic. I can too."

Oh, if only cameras had been invented back then. I'm sure Yoruichi would have taken a picture of Ichigo's face so she could look upon it and laugh day in and day out.

"I'm half-Witch. A Leath. My mother was a full-blooded Witch, an Iomlán."

"I… uh.. um." Ichigo scratched his head, completely and utterly confused out of his mind. He settled with a simple: "Okay."

Yoruichi smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling.

….

It was dark, but Byakuya, feeling around in the darkness, lit a torch set in the wall. The secret room illuminated with light, and dark shadows danced across the plain white walls with the flickering flame. It was a small, simple room with only one thing in it besides the torch.

It was a pedestal; on top of it was thick black book. The book looked decades, if not centuries, old. Byakuya slowly walked up to it, and fingered the old, crisp pages lightly.

"This is the Book of Witches and Warlocks." Byakuya said, his back turned against her. Rukia timidly walked closer to her father, hands behind her back. "It is the oldest book in all of Scotland, and it is a treasure. Priceless."

The young woman felt one of her eyebrows raise at the sight of the thin, pages that Byakuya was turning.

"What does it do?" Rukia asked, a perplexed emotion covering her features. She looked over her father's shoulder, but all she saw were jumbled writings that she couldn't identify.

"It teaches one in the ways of black magic." Byakuya said bluntly. He closed the book, and a booming thud sound echoed off the white walls of the room.

"Back in your study… you said that I didn't know a lot about my mother." Rukia said. The air in the room was cold and damp, Rukia crossed her arms to try to shield herself from it. "But you also said that I didn't know much about you, either." She cocked her head to the side. "What are you trying to tell me, father?"

"I'm telling you that…" Byakuya took a deep breath. "I'm a Warlock, Rukia."

….

**A/N: Merry Christmas all! I worked really hard and really fast so that this chapter would be up just in time for a late night Xmas gift! I hope you enjoyed it and I'll update as fast as I can!**

**Thank You SO MUCH For Reviewing: ****WindMiko****, and ****ichiruki fan 3**** for reviewing! Oh, and ****splitheart1120**** for the FIFTEITH REVIEW! Thank you so much, and you're Pokemon fics are awesome! :D**

**P.S. = Sacrament now has 50 reviews! OMG OMG OMG OMG. :'D**

**Until next time,**

**Liymenello**


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